Starfighters GWAC
by Syngi
Summary: AU fic. It only takes one to change the tides of the universe. An outcast- feared by his own- a clash of light and dark- and a battle that will lead to the awakening of power.
1. DISCLAIMER

I do not own gundam wing or any of the things that go with it. Some one at Bandai or Sunrise (?) or who knows where gets money for this. I don't.

!!!PLEASE PLEASE READ FIRST- CONFUSION CAN BE EXPLAINED!!!!

This fic is AU and slightly OOC for some. You will find characters here that you may never have heard. The originals are mine - some of the others belong to other GW storylines. The plot line is mine. I created it and the world, language, culture, and universe in which it takes place. The original story was/is a sci-fi I wrote waaaayyy back in the day and hope to actually get published under it's real name. I have been working to adapt the GW to this storyline. I think I was successful.

Pairings will not be traditional in most cases since I'm not too fond of some of them and feel that others have been run into the ground. The boys will be together as soon as it's feasible so don't worry if you don't see but a few to begin with. This may start off slow but believe me it will get pick up. It's a loooonnnng work of fiction and is originally a trilogy- I'm only going to force the first part on you and give it a (somewhat) conclusion.

Comments are welcome- especially if something doesn't make sense. In some places you will find a language that you don't recognize (used mostly with numbers and day references) if it gets to be too much I will go back and replace them with English as they are in some of the places I just didn't bother with. Let me know what you think- even in editing or grammar as we all know that spell check and such only works part time.

I thank you and hope you enjoy STARFIGHTERS : rebels of the stars or as I'm calling it STARFIGHTERS GW/AC.


	2. ZOE

**ZOE ****zero**

The city of Calodonie sat nestled below the towering peaks of the Ferderon Mountains. Protected from the harsh light of the Terrax sun by an amber dome. Prisms of light to dance across the inner walls of the city in an array of colors; making buildings made of crystal and precious metal sparkle and gleam like jewels. It was the capital city of the planet Teirsa and the headquarters of the Alliance resistance against the Spectronian Empire. It was the jewel in the crown of the newly re-formed Dawntian Realm.

Within it's protected dome the people felt safe and secure, knowing that daily patrols kept a watchful eye out for the possibility of attack. Dehil to dehil activities had become complacent as the threat of any attack grew more and more remote and now with the Alliance Council visiting the city, the threat became an impossibility. Thus the citizens flocked to the palza concourse at high sun to eat and shop, never once imagining that lurking behind the brightness of their own sun was the darkness of their worse enemy.

A loud hum filled the air, echoing off the walls of the dome as the hour of the passing patrol approached. A small shadow passed across the sun as those on the promenade stopped and cast their eyes upward. It had become a tradition to look at the patrol as it passed, as if to pay homage to the pilots for a job well done.

The shadow broke apart and smaller shadows came at the city with great speed and ferocity. No one moved as they descended on the city like small winged avengers. The amber dome shattered under the first wave of attacking vipers. People scrambled for cover as tiny shards of amber crystal rained down on them. Screams filled the air as the entire city fell to chaos.

"Father! Protect us!" "Help me!" "Protect us!"

Buildings crumbled under the assault as the second wave of vipers flew across the city. The academy, which had stood at the city's center, was laid to ruin. The Science Academy, which had been the greatest achievement for the planet Teirsa, shattered as the first laser barrage rained down on them.

)O()O()O()O()O()O(

"_We are receiving unconfirmed reports of explosions at the Verdrah Complex and Governmental Centra in the citra of Calodonie." The standard dehil newscast blinked breaking up before it once again cleared to show the shadowed silhouette of the non-descript speaker. 'Rumors have run rampant of a secreted transmission alluding to an attack against the Alliance Centra World of Teirsa, but to date no one has confirmed this. In the Serrian news . . ." _

The silence on the bridge was deafening. No one spoke, all actions ceased, and all eyes were glued to the com-controller's panel as the transmission was shut off and the speaker's voice was silenced.

"Scanning for further reports." Nerria Tolliver spoke as her fingers flew across the keyboard finding other signals. "Signals coming from prime world now."

The command center filled with words spoken quickly and in panic. Some were spoken so quickly it was hard to hear, others were spoken in whispers and pleas. The first one was more official.

"_Sadow troops are entering the city and are proceeding to the Governing center. Where are the vistars!"_

"_By the Father! The protection grid failed! We're all going to die!"_

"Commander?"

Odin Lowe was the Commander of the Red Star, the primary Starfighter of the Teirsan Alliance. He'd been appointed this post upon the death of Commander Roth, his mentor and trainer. The man had led this Starfighter into countless battles only to die in his bed one night of an undiagnosed Serrian collage. With his last breath, he turned his ship over to Odin and commanded his body to be placed in space.

Now Odin, his command only five thyerox old, stood stunned along with his bridge crew in disbelief of what they were hearing as message after message of destruction filled the command center. Running his hand through his mossy green hair, he took a deep breath to steel his reserve in order to give his orders in a calm voice.

"Lt. Reather, plot a direct course to Teirsa at our fastest speed."

The order broke the strange silence and unlocked the crew. Everyone rushed to get to their stations and find out as much information as possible while getting the Starfighter ready for fast travel.

"This is the Red Star to Calodonie Command, come in Calodonie Command." Nerria, the young ensign assigned to the communications array frantically tried to search for the message sent. She pulled out all the tricks that she knew, but the signal was lost. "Please, please come in Calodonie Command."

"This cannot be happening." Odin's words were spoken softly, his eyes meeting those of his friend and colleague, Chang Wufei. "They could not have gotten to Teirsa without someone seeing them."

Wufei had no words of comfort for his friend.

"This is the Red Star Command ordering all fighters to the ready. Check all vistars for re-fueling and clearance on launching as soon as we reach Teirsa."

Odin listened as the bridge crew of the Red Star ran as quickly as possible to perform their duties. This was what they had been trained for. This was what they knew. Though none, not even him, had ever expected the call to come from their own home world, the heart of the Alliance was under attack.

Taking his seat in the central command section of the bridge, Odin met the eyes of his first, De'mon. It was clear what it meant if Calodonie fell before the enemy. All hope for the Alliance would be lost.

"May the Father guide us there as fast as he can." It was a prayer spoken silently by them all as Odin steeled himself for the things to come. "Nav com, give us a time."

Nav com looked away from the screen to glance at the console. "Estimated time is ten dials to reach Teirsa Prime."

Odin cursed under his breath. Even at their top speed they weren't going to make it. "Where in the tragan were the vistars?"

De'mon looked at his commander in surprise. Never, in all their thyerox together in battle, had he heard Odin use such strong language. The man had always prided himself on his ability to command with calm resolve.

"Commander. . . "

"Even at our top speed we're not going to make it in time." Odin cursed again. "Where was the coverage?!" With a sigh, he met De'mon's eyes and took another calming breath. "Get me all the information you can. I don't want us flying blind."

"Aye, Commander." De'mon nodded and went to fulfill his orders.

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The explosions drown the screams as the protective shield around the city fell and the enemy landed inside the city. Citizens unfortunate enough to be there were quickly cut down by the Sadow army.

Alliance ground forces tried to hold them back but it was a losing battle as vipers returned for another pass. There was little time between one attack to another and no way to contact any of the outside areas for help.

"This is trank leader we've got ground forces! Heavily outnumbered! Where's our air support!? Vipers have taken out Planta Unas, we're defenseless down here!"

Base command heard the calls but before they could answer a squad of vipers strafed the area. The command center, along with the surrounding facilities, were destroyed.

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"Commander, we have confirmed reports of the attack.."

Odin looked up from the rayer report he'd been handed when De'mon entered his office. "How bad is it?"

De'mon tried to find the best way to say what he had to report when Odin became impatient and growled out, "Just speak, De'mon, it can't be as bad as I imagine."

De'mon sighed and pulled the board up to read it. "Actually it is." Tapping board, he rolled the report so he could read all the details. "The station at Prime Ish has been hit. It's bad enough that any signal we're getting is all ready automated. Calodonie, Furgust, and Bain Rawhe have fallen. Damage unknown. Reports from transport Gammen is that Base Command and Planta Unas were both destroyed."

"Destroyed!" Odin exploded and grabbed the board from De'mon. As he scrolled through the information his face became colder and his blue eyes turned to ice.

It made De'mon hesitate for a few mirax before continuing. "We're the closets Starfighter within three quads. Even the Unians have nothing closer, though they are offering to send medical help."

He picked up the pace as Odin stalked angrily out onto the bridge, continuing his report as quickly as possible. "I've ordered all squadrons to return and ready for battle. The ship's engines are running to flank. Nav times us out at three dials. Poppin Geno says he can only give us another two grades of power before we completely ruin his engines, but he doesn't recommend it."

Odin nodded as he took his seat at command, his mind shaken by the unfathomable thought that such could happen in this dehil and time. There were so many barriers between the outer realm and the heart of the Alliance to allow even a single viper be able to reach the protected center of Teirsa.

Keeping his voice level, he looked at his two command officers. Wufei looking solemn; De'mon keeping his features locked in silence. "I want to know how this happened. How they got through the outer defensive systems with no warning and why ground stations never saw them coming."

Both men nodded and turned only to stop when a shout covered the other noises on the deck.

"Commander, we are receiving a signal from Lira!" Lyrka, the senior com officer had been monitoring the signals since the news had broke, but now her heart raced as a sporadic signal increased it's strength.

"Main screen, NOW!" Odin leaned forward as the image, at first broken by static, came into focus. "Boost the power, Com, I want to be able to see it."

Lyrka did as ordered, her fingers all ready flying across her console to get the best possible signal from the closest base to home.

"_Emerge! Emerge! Primary targets have been hit. All ships docked in the Lira base have been destroyed. This is combat station Lira Ish are you receiving us?" The image broke up for a moment before once again revealing the wounded image of a young ensign. His face bloodied and covered in soot, his uniform tattered it's insignia gone. "We were attacked by the dark forces. They came from the dark side of Teirsa, we had no warning. Life support is cut in half, we don't expect it to last much longer. The vistars have all been destroyed, the bay and all landing ports are gone. We have no contact with the planet nor do we have control of the base. The bridge was wiped out, we've had no word. We are losing. . ."_ The screen blinked again. _"All resources are at their max. We can only account for fifteen crew, no officers. We request immediate help."_

"How long?" Odin shouted.

"Six dials, Commander." Nav com reported.

"Kick up the speed." Odin ordered. "Re-route systems, get us as much speed as possible."

"Aye sir!"

Odin sighed, no matter what he ordered they would be a long time getting there. "Wufei, are we sure we're the closest Starfighter?"

Wufei, long time friend and science officer sighed softly as he quickly confirmed what he all ready knew to be fact. "I'm afraid so, Commander. The Rising Star is next, but even at it's fastest speed it's still five dials behind us."

Odin nodded and turned his gaze back to the flickering screens. The marks of devastation being shown were almost too much to bare. The targets had been well chosen. The timing had been perfect. With the city relaxed and unsuspecting, there was no defense against them. There had been no time to launch a defense, no time to do more than pray, as the enemy fired upon the city and its inhabitants without warning or mercy.

"Speed has increased to twin pars over Sec." Odin simply nodded as he sent up a silent prayer. They had gained only two dials.

()O()O()O()O()O()O()

Consciousness returned with pain. Not that it had not been so before, but this time he knew there was a difference. A sharp pain in his right arm made him catch his breath only to find that there was a weight on his chest. Moaning softly, he slowly opened his eyes to the darkness the surrounded him. Trying to move, he breathed in slowly the scent of dust and death making him choke, if it hadn't hurt so much he would have laughed.

Shutting his eyes for a moment he held back the scream. He'd tried to warn them. He'd told them what the message had said and they had ignored him. Now they were paying for their arrogance and he feared the consequences of it once he was outside.

Taking a deep breath, he slowly raised his left hand in order to judge how big the space was. His hand stopped two pars above him, making the space just big enough for his upper body. Closing his eyes, he began to slowly inhale, puffing air in and out of his lungs until he was calm. Then with a shout, he sent all the gathered energy through his uninjured arm and against the debris pinning him down.

It shook and moaned before exploding out and away with a force that embedded the beam into what was once the left wall of his cell. Dust covered him as the wreckage re-settled around him. Slowly sitting up, he clutched his right arm as he looked around. The Facility was completely destroyed, along with the main research buildings and the military arena. The surrounding area was equally devastated and almost unrecognizable.

Tearing a strip off his tunic, he carefully wrapped his injured arm and stood. Pushing his hair away from his face, he took his first tentative steps out of the rubble. His heart wrenched as he looked around him, taking in the rubble of what was left of the city of his birth.


	3. ISH

**ISH/one**

The smoke and dust had turned day to dusk. The hazy skyline, for the first time in genernes, was lighted by the natural sun and it wasn't enough. Cries and moans echoed around the dark area that was once bright with light and laughter. Blood and flames decorated the building once thought to be the most beautiful in the city, as survivors began to pull free from the rubble. Most just stood shocked at the sight before them, the devastation the enemy had wrought had left few things recognizable. What had been a beautiful salon in the palza's center was now only marked by the fountain, it's white marcon stone marred with blast burns and cracks.

Four men worked frantically to clear the rubble off the injured. When they'd heard the cries from beneath the pillar they's wasted no time in trying to free the poor souls who'd been trapped in th e sublet dining hall. Two wore the tanned jumpers of city workers, the other two wore the robes cloaks of business officials; yet they worked side by side coming together to help. All were covered with dirt and their clothing bore the tears and marks of their own frantic escape from the destruction.

"The fliers are returning!"

The distant hum was clearly recognizable. Vipers, the messengers of death and destruction, were returning for another attack. It would be the third such attack in the last dial, all unopposed. The sound was enough to send those able, running.

"We'll never get this off!" the stout business official cast a fearful glance skyward. They were open targets for the enemy to pick off. "We have to get out of here!"

Before the two city workers to say anything, the two business officials took off running, chasing after those fleeing for cover. They looked at one another, both were determined to free their trapped citizens no matter what. As they leaned down to try again to pull at the pillar, blasts began to shake the ground. The Vipers had begun their next attack.

"We're never going to get this thing off in time."

"Keep trying."

Members of the Industry for most of their grown lives it was not in either man to give up. Muscles strained and sinew screamed as they attempted to lift the pillar of macron stone again.

"Could I help?"

Both men turned to see a dirty faced boy wearing a tattered tunic and pants. The color could not be determined since it had long since turned grey with soot and dust. His hair was long, passed his shoulders, and dark, but whether that was from nature or soot they could not tell and while his right arm appeared to be injured the rest of him seemed fine.

"There are people trapped below." The taller of the two motioned toward the hole beneath the pillar and the cries coming from within. "The foundation won't take any more hits. It's now or never."

The youth nodded and stepped up. Four grown men had not been able to budge the large stone pillar and now they were just two and a boy. Their task was almost impossible. Yet, somehow the heavy pillar began to slowly shift and with a few more hard grunts, it moved.

"By the Father!"

The people below scrambled out, thanking the men by handshakes and pats on the backs. Once everyone was feed, the men looked around for the boy but he was already gone.

Rescue ships began to land as fires broke out across the city. Fuel bunkers, that had been brought down from the moon base, began to explode as survivors slowly made their way out of the rubble. At the edge of the city the Sadow, Spectronian ground troops, began their death march. Those trapped were left for the dark hoard as those able, fled for their lives.

Like a shadow the boy stumbled through the ruins of the city. Rubbing his forehead, his body aching from the cuts and bruises he'd received when the palza had crumbled. Even now every blast and explosion was like a physical hit as the nightmare continued to rain fire and death down upon them.

Moans alerted him to more injured, more trapped people half buried in the rubble. Oblivious to his own injuries, he began to dig until the last of those visible were free of the rubble that had once been the great Amphitheater.

"It's gone! The Governing Center is gone!" A man shouted the words as he ran away form the sounds of explosions and the cries of the injured. "They destroyed everything! We're doomed!"

"May the Father bless you son." The woman grabbed hold of the boy's arm as she pulled herself from beneath the last of the debris, but the youth wasn't listening. Instead his eyes, the color of darkened lapis, were already cutting through the smoke and fire toward the area where the heart of the city had stood. Slowly he walked toward the heart of the destruction, his eyes taking in all that was around him in shocked silence.

The Great Halls of the Calodonie Capital building had stood for cenrons in the center of Govern as testament to architectural ingenuity. Great columns had stood by the entrance hall, marking the beginning of man's hopes, his dreams to be at peace with all around him. It's walls of crystalline glass and infrastructure of precious amberious metal was the marvel of all the joined worlds. It had earned it's builder many awards and notoriety. It had been the place of many important meetings. The signing of the Alliance Declaration had taken place there, as well as the unification of the Colonized worlds of Terrax. Laws of man had been written inside allowing for the betterment of them, but now it was all gone. The attack had completely decimated the Governmental Centra, leaving only the beautiful veined columns to mark it's place.

There was no way anyone could have survived, yet he still forced himself to scan the building for life. His father and the other Councilmen would have been at high dial session discussing some great city matter when the attack occurred. Now no one would be taking the people's argument; the great structure had become their burial pyre.

"Sadow!"

The scream forced him to turn and look at the people coming toward him. Most wore the tattered remains of their citizen robes, their wounds barely slowing them as they made their way through the rubble. Their fear of _him _overrode by their fear of the dark Sadow.

"The Sadow are coming!"

He could hear the metallic sound of their armor as the injured rushed passed him. The Sadow would leave no survivors in their wake and there were few who could stop them. Armies had fallen before the dark tide of the Spectronian Sadow forces and cities had been turned to dust under their feet. They were unfeeling; following only the orders given them, stopping not even for their own wounded.

He turned to join the retreating group when a flash of white caught his eye. Making his way through the panicked crowd, he found a woman huddled behind a wall, her injured child wrapped in her arms.

"Can you move?"

The woman gasped. The boy looked like an apparition, his eyes seeming to glow with some inner light and an aura seemed to surround him.

"My baby."

He knelt before her, allowing her to see that he wasn't the death spirit she feared. His hair was long, shades of amber and brown peeked through the dirt held in the loosening pony tail, his clothing, a tunic and pants, were perhaps once white, and his skin while possibly tanned was thick with dirt. He touched her with a gentle hand, checking both her and her child's injuries.

"Who are. . .?"

"Shh." His head turned and he caught sight of the mark she'd not expected to see. The mark of the governing house. He was a Maxwell. "Sadow." he whispered and moved blocking her view.

The metallic sound grew louder as the dark forced moved closer. Nothing stood as they fired upon the few survivors unable to move or free themselves. The boy pushed against her as they got closer and she knew it was only a matter of time before they, too were cut down.

The boy turned to her and smiled, his calm reassurance making her believe they would survive where the others had not and then he stood. She screamed as the Sadow caught sight of him and fired. The blasts bounced off him as if he were wearing some form of personal shielding, returning to the dark warriors. As the boy moved forward to meet the Sadow, their own weapons became their deaths. Every shot fired reflected back onto them, cutting them down and filling the area with their death wails.

When he reached the first fallen, he stopped. Raising both his arms, he directed the shots with a flick of his hands. Blood flowed freely down his arm as he fired at the dark hoard. The anger he'd felt upon finding his father dead rose up in full force to take out the invaders of his home.

"Nahjet!" The curse caused him to pause long enough for the Sadow to hit him in the shoulder. The woman screamed as the boy staggered before making a sweeping motion and laying the remaining Sadow to waste. Behind him he could hear the Alliance ground troops advancing, their weapons joining the fight. The warriors drove the remaining Sadow back enough so that the med techs could get to the woman and child.

"Get that kid down!"

As the warrior reached for him, the boy let out a blood wrenching scream, making all of them stop cold. Arms flung back as the sound still echoed, a wave a energy surged from the boy destroying all that stood before him.

"By the Father!"

For a few mirax the smouldering armor of the Sadow stood like dark statues before falling to the ground. The warrior barely registered the devastation as the boy fell limp in front of him. What ever he'd done, it had taken all everything he had to do it.

O()O()O()O()O()O()O

"Rayer shows no sign of Spectronian Battlecruisers."

Odin frowned. "What about the vipers?"

Trella checked her screens again before speaking. "All I'm getting are minute traces of formytle. By these readings, the attack happened yarns ago instead of a few dials."

"The city of Calodoine is reporting Sadow troopers." Wufei announced. "And the Rising Star is at the outer marker."

"The Unian medical vessels are enroute but the nearest Starfighter is the Barroke in Vega Meich Dou." De'mon told him. "The Dawntian Empire has two fleet ships, but their about a dial behind the Rising Star."

Odin could only nod at the information being fed to him. None of it mattered it wouldn't get them there any faster nor offer assistance any sooner. It was still a matter of speed.

"I want squadrons ready to fly once we reach orbit. Grid searches to eradicate the Sadow and trace that formytle."

"Aye, Commander."

"We ran taggers on most of those here. This one came up under classified status."

Keeping his eyes closed and his breathing deep, he felt the two men move closer. He'd become aware of his surroundings only moments before when the cry of a child had pulled him from the darkness. He knew by the smell that he was in a medical facility and that his wounds had been treated.

"How classified?"

"Level ninh or above."

"Get GovTem Janox to approve the search. How are his wounds?"

"Superficial. The med techs did a good job repairing his arm and ribs. The blast wound is sealed, but will take at least a yarn to properly heal."

"What about the woman and child he was protecting?"

'Their wounds were minor. They were treated and released to a shelter."

"Did she?"

"No, she said he came out of nowhere to help them. With her story we checked for head wounds as well but found nothing."

"Hm. Stress from the attack I've no doubt. Check him every half dial and let me know when he's identified."

Opening his eyes to mere slits, he watched the two medicals move away. He waited for them to get out of sight before slowly removing the contacts that monitored his body. When no alarms sounded, he quickly got up and searched the area for security. He'd been dressed in a new tunic and pants, the telling emblem replaced so that he was clearly identifiable again. Grabbing some shoes, he made his way quietly out of the enclosed building. While he was grateful for their help, there was still others he needed to search for.

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"How did you hear about the transmission?"

"So it is true?"

Tri Commander Rashid Kurama nodded slowly. It was one thing to be caught with napping; it was quite another to have been fore warned.

"How was the message sent?"

Treize Kushrenada was the liasion between the Alliance and the Dawntian Empire. He was reknown for his sharp mind and brilliant tactics. He had reached his rank faster than anyone could imagine and was quick to let people know that it hadn't been handed to him.

Rashid sighed and looked hard at the Unian. "The message was sent on an obsolete carrier band. The language wasn't even known once it was decoded."

Treize frowned. Rashid was of the old Academy, he'd fought in many of the more famous campaigns before retiring to the sentry seat. With anyone else he'd believe there was more but Rashid was known for being truthful and blunt.

"I still don't understand why it was ignored."

Rashid's face hardened as anger colored his words. "The message was not ignored! We received it only two yerons passed. It took a team of shor another yeron to properly decode it. When we realized the language wasn't in the matrix, we pulled all the top linguists together and set them to work. Not even they could agree on what it was!"

"Then when . . .?"

Rashid rose from his desk and turned to look out the window. If he hadn't come to Una on business, he would have been in Catheria organizing rescue plans. "The message was only fully translated three dehils ago." Sighing, he ran a hand over his face. "Even then it was only verified this passed dehil."

"Why did it have to be verified?" Treize watched Rashid's shoulders slump. The man was looking older with every question he asked and every report he received from the home world.

"There was a linguist attached to the Gov Tem Facility. He took a copy of the message back to his lab."

Treize waited before he completed the thought himself. "Someone else translated the message who was not on the team."

Rashid nodded and with a heavy sigh, he returned to his desk. "There was a young cadet in the Facility we were not aware of. The linguist left the message out, the cadet saw it, and translated it within a dial."

Treize leaned forward puzzled. "You're telling me that a cadet translated an unknown language in less than a dial? Without ever having seen it before? How is that possible?"

Rashid hesitated before pulling out a hard copied folder. In this dehil and ergo it was uncommon for any information to be placed on sheets much less enough to fill a folder.

"The cadet's name is Duo Maxwell. He's the only son of a prominent family. He was at the Facility doing special studies."

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His shoulder throbbed and his arm was weak but he was free. For the first time in more than drehm thyerox Duo Maxwell was without a keeper . . . and his world had been destroyed.

Taking a deep breath, he headed for the city's palza. The attack had occurred at almost high sun thus most of the citizens would have been there. It would have also been the hardest hit and would need the most help.

Keeping an eye out for Alliance warriors, he made his way slowly to the centra palza. Building that had once been considered marvels of modern architecture were now mere memories. The only thing still recognizable was the sky walk hanging loosely from its remaining pillars.

Duo took his time picking through the loose debris that was once the grand hall where the great murals of the Borrax had covered the walls. Muted colors still clung to the stone of the few walls still standing but fire had forever marred their beauty; it was a sad testament to the loves of those who once lived.

As he stepped over a fallen marker, hands grasped him pulling him down. He struggled only to have fingers dig deep into the skin of his healing arm making him freeze.

"Help me."

Duo jerked before turning to see an Elderman crouched behind the wall, hiding. His face, what there was to recognize, was distinguished. Eyes of clear cut blue looked back at him with clear hysteria and madness as he turned to revealed the charred flesh of the rest of him. His robes were barely recognizable as those of the burgundy colors of a Gov Tem Nova, a man of power and prestige.

"The Sadow are coming." the man wheezed as he fought for each breath. "They're coming, I can hear them."

Duo tried to cover the pain that shot up his arm as the man's grip tightened. He couldn't hear the mechanics and as he closed his eyes, briefly, he knew that he would not feel the cold darkness he had come to associate with the black Sadow killing force. He gasped as the man pulled at him again, breaking his concentration.

"They killed everyone." the man whispered, his voice coming faster as he pulled on Duo's arm. "I am too important to fall into their hands. They mustn't find me."

"They're not coming." Duo tried to reassure the injured man, hoping that soon the Alliance search force would find them. "There's a Starfighter in orbit, the Specs are gone."

"I'm Gov Protem Noverrem! I'm important, quasi!" The man's harsh voice was now shouting as he cursed and struggled. "I've got secrets! I know truths!"

Once again Duo tried to free himself without hurting the man further, but his grip was too strong. "There are Alliance warriors coming, everything will be all right."

"I know truths!" The man shouted again and jerked on Duo's arm. "I saw faces! I know what they did; I know what they planned! I heard their words!"

"The shuttle is coming." Duo could hear the soft pull of the engines as they made a slow pass toward the palza. "They'll get you some medical."

"I know you." His words were slurred as he slowly leaned forward to get a better look. "You're the one that Merris spoke of. The one they couldn't control. You're the Nahjet!"

Duo fell back as he was suddenly released and images pushed at him from Noverrem's mind. He'd heard the word before, had felt the fear associated with it, but what he was seeing now was nothing like he'd dealt with before. Imagines of testing and tactics; of schematics and weaponry, until it all settled on an image of him laying strapped to the exam board of one of the Facility's many rooms of white.

"They sent you! They knew I'd be here! They sent you!" Noverrrem pushed himself away from Duo as fast as he could crawl. His words becoming more and more hysterical as he moved away.

"Wait! Stop!" Duo tried to halt the man's frantic climb over the debris wall they'd been hidden behind but the man only became more crazed the closer he got. "Stop!"

Duo made one last grab for the man's robes, but Noverrem was beyond rational thinking and threw himself over the edge, away from Duo's hand. His screams echoed along the stone as Duo climbed to the top and looked over. Below the Gov Tem's broken body lay in the empty concave of what had once been one of the palza's many majestic fountains. Closing his eyes, Duo made a quick scan, all ready knowing that the man was now dead.

"Stay where you are!"

Duo jumped and turned, catching sight of a fully armored Alliance Defender, his weapon aimed at him.

"Climb down slowly."

The Defender had been sent with his unit to insure that no one looted the palza, but once they'd seen how unlikely that was, their Commander had chosen to recon the area instead.

Duo kept his hands visible as he slowly made his way back down to level ground. The rubble hadn't seemed so high when he was trying to reach the Gov Tem, but with a gun pointed at him it now it was like scaling a mountain.

"I've got a survivor." The Defender pulled the gun down as the boy reached him. Taking in the boy's appearance with one quick glance, he was surprised to see a Facility emblem on a clearly Institutional issued tunic. "What was your purpose here?"

Duo drew in a relaxing breath and lowered his hands. "I was looking for survivors."

The Defender lowered his weapon fully and angled his head to get a better look at the boy. "This area is strictly off limits to all but Alliance Defenders and Rescue Units. We've had reports of Sadow activity and sabotage."

"There are no Sadow here." Duo spoke before thought. "As for sabotage, the only I've seen so far is the garrett, someone's rigged the door."

The Defender threw another look at the boy before asking, "I need your name, rank and cast."

Duo sighed. The next words he spoke would surely end his freedom. "Duo Maxwell. Cadet. Alpha cast. Facility Omacron Dra."

He waited as the Defender relayed the information back to base and was not surprised when he said, "I have orders to take you to the base set up at Delfin Polls."

O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O

"Satray leader reports a temporary base command set up at Delfin Polls. Lead Graham and the last Defender Unit are all ready reporting there." Major Karl Normbreux scrambled to keep up the frantic pace set by his Commander. Karl was the best records analyst in the fleet, but at times he knew he could be as annoying as a kats fly. "I've recommended that Satray squadron remain on planet to insure rescue formation."

Odin nodded, he'd heard most all of this once all ready. He'd even approved the plan to be implemented the mirac they cleared the belt.

"Karl, what about the grid search?"

Karl visibly swallowed. Since he was so thin it wasn't a wonder the bobbing of his throat was so noticeable, moreso when he shuffle his feet as he was want to do when nerves overcame him. "The Rising Star has nothing to report and are now heading this way. Fleet has spread out in active formation and are approaching from far side. They have found nothing to report."

"What about the residue trail?" Odin was getting tired of hearing the same old thing.

"It's dissipating much faster than it should." Karl shook his head and looked away. "Trella regrets to report that we probably only have another few triax before it's completely gone."

"And the Unian ships?"

Karl consulted his board, even though he all ready knew the answer. "They were recalled.'

"What?!"

Karl pulled himself short to keep from running into his Commander when Odin came to an angry stop in the middle of the corridor.

Swallowing again, he forced himself not to look down but answer. "The Unian Gov Tem feared they were the next target and recalled their ships."

"Dorden Tretar!" Odin cursed angrily and stormed down the corridor headed for the bridge. "I want a com link locked with Delfin Polls and another with the Rising Star! I want those durden Specs and I want them now!"

(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)

Once they got their orders the Defender squadron moved quickly. Duo kept silent as he followed the lead Defender, he could tell by their speed and focus that something more than just a search for survivors was happening. A faint click alerted him to the Defender receiving a message and the group abruptly changed direction.

"Stay in my tracks and don't be more than two steps behind me." The Defender ordered as he powered up his weapon. "Keep quiet and don't do anything stupid."

Duo refrained from telling the Defender that he was not stupid and could take care of himself. Following the man's orders so that the warrior wouldn't be distracted, he kept his own eyes open just in case. A few triax later he was surprised to find that he recognized where they were. They were near the Grisage Point, a mecca for fine dining and extravagant wares when the Defender came to an abrupt halt.

Duo gasped as cold assaulted his senses and forced him to his knees with a gasp. "Sadow."

The Defender turned to look at the young cadet. If he didn't know better he'd think the boy was in shock. The boy's eyes had become unfocused and his face hard as he watched the boy lift his head to look beyond the leader at something none of them could yet see.

"Sadow! Three clicks set." The call came over the com as the boy abruptly stood up.

Before he could get to him, the hum of a rapton filled the air and an explosion covered the open cathedral in dust. When he looked back at his charge, he was shocked to see him standing completely still, the dust moving around him as if encountering a protective shield.

"What is he doing?" the shout came from the Commander as the boy stepped out from behind the protective cover of the fallen wall.

The Defender made a move to grab him, but the boy was fast. Before any of them could react the boy had made his way into the open area of the cathedral. The Defender once again made a move to return his charge to safety when a yell stopped them all.

"Rapton cannon rise covered!"

The unit ducked again and covered themselves as another barrage rained down on them. When they were clear again, the Defender looked for the boy, but he was gone.

(O)(O)(O)(O)

Duo felt the sting of the micro pebbles shift through the force around him. He knew the Sadow were gaining ground but it was something else that forced him from the safety of the wall. It was like a light blinking from a dark place, calling for him to come to it.

Walking through the dark, smoke filled ruins, he made his way slowly back toward the palza Crown Hall. The last attack had reduced the remnants of the once brightly lit area to rubble. The shadow of what remained of the promenade marked what was not two dials ago a bustling shopping centre. There would be no survivors within the rubble of the great multi-layered complex. The whole of the building had collapsed in on itself. The one place where the Council's protector would have felt safe in taking them if he'd been informed of the shelters below the structure.

Picking his way through the fallen debris, he found a small hollowed out place below the remains of an entertainment tower. Stepping carefully, he began to find his way through the dark area. Placing his hand against a large stone piece, he balanced himself to step over a fallen pillar when a hand snaked out of the dark, grabbing his wrist and throwing him off balance. Flipping over as he landed, he grabbed at the dark figure above him only to find himself pinned to the stone wall beneath him.

"Cease your struggles, young Teirsan. I am Naijor. Protector member of the House of Drend Mentrat. Guardian of the High Council of Allies."

The deep voice was raspy but strong as the strength behind the dark shadow held him firm. It took his eyes a moment to adjust from the smoke and dust, to focus on the dark form of a Naijor, the Council's protector.

The Naijor pulled the young Teirsan up and deeper into the ruins, bringing him to a stop near the student centre so that he could get a good look at him. It had taken all of his special training to hear this one, he had moved so silently. It was hard, even for the greatest of warriors to deceive the senses of a Naijor, for they were trained from birth to hear that which could not be heard, to feel that which could not be felt. They were genetically encoded to be the best hunters, trackers, and protectors in the whole of the known universe. It was why their kind was in such demand, by the good as well as the evil. But this young Teirsan had been almost upon him before he'd even heard him and then it had been his breathing that had given him away, not any sound his boots made.

"Who are you, young Teirsan?"

The boy swallowed, lack of water and too much dust and smoke had made it hard to breathe let alone speak. But with a shake, the Naijor demanded an answer to his question.

"Maxwell. Cadet Duo Maxwell." His voice once found sounded forced and made his throat hurt.

The Naijor released the cadet and stepped back to get a better look at him. The boy stood perfectly still, not wanting the Naijor to mistake him for an enemy when there were so many all ready within the city's arena.

"You are very brave to venture forth to this place. It smells of death and destruction." The Naijor spoke these words deliberately, he had to know what the young warrior was made of if he was to be the one to take on the task needed to be done.

"The entire city is nothing but death and destruction." Duo murmured as he watched the Naijor with wary eyes. The dark warrior took several steps to the side of the rubble to look deeper into the ruins.

"You are not safe here, cadet." The Naijor heard the crunch of the Sadow's boots as they advanced into the area. "Safety is in the other direction, away from this place."

Duo couldn't have agreed more, but safety was the last thing on his mind as he, too, heard the clank of the Sadow troops advancement.

"The Sadow are coming."

The Naijor's head tilted slightly to one side to indicate that he, too, knew of the danger they were in. The young cadet would have to prove himself before this one would move.

Duo felt the darkness claw up his back as the sound of the Sadow troops got closer to their hidden position. A strange sort of calm surrounded him as the Naijor simply stood out in the open waiting for the darkness to reach them.

The sounds of gun fire and death screams of those who were trapped echoed through the ruins. The Sadow were doing as programmed and sterilizing the city as they marched through it. Those not fortunate enough to flee were eradicated.

Using the wall as a shield, Duo pulled the gun from behind his back. Taking a second to adjust his sight, he turned to fire at the advancing troops. They seemed to freeze as their sights set on the exposed Naijor, who stood silently awaiting them.

"Move!" Duo's shout came too late as the Sadow fired and the Naijor took a direct hit to the chest. The warrior, however, did not fall, but calmly removed two deadly tri-stargs and threw them toward the advancing troops, taking out five with one throw.

Instinct took over as Duo placed himself between the injured Naijor and the rest of Sadow advancement. He fired indiscriminately, hitting each dark target he aimed at, destroying it. The first wave lay littering the ground before his finger stopped pulling on the trigger.

The Naijor dragged the boy back into the ruins. Without hesitation he had laid the Sadow to waste and when they had wounded him, the cadet had placed himself between him and the Legion. It was unthinkable for anyone, especially a young cadet, to think of protecting a Naijor. Wounded or not, they were considered dangerous and deadly. No one thought to protect one for they were trained to be the protectors. But this young cadet hadn't thought twice about placing himself in harms way. This one could be the one.

Duo fell to the ground next to the wounded Naijor once they'd reached the hidden alcove in the rubble. He tried to determine the warrior's wounds, but his armored body suit and hood made that next to impossible.

"We will be safe here for a few triax." The Naijor could feel his life's blood seeping from the wound in his chest as he faced the young cadet. The boy had more than proven himself and there was so little time left. He had to be the one.


	4. MEICH

**MEICH****)( TWO**

In the past the planet Teirsa glowed like a great giant orb, a shining jewel in the coldness of space. She was home; she was hope; she was beauty, but she was not peace. In normal circumstances a feeling of warmth would overcome any Starfighter crew when she came into sight.

But not this dehil, not this dial.

The Red Star was elite among her peers. She was a large tri-engine Starfighter of omega class. She had two side track landing bays and four flow launch tubes. She carried over four hundred crew, men and women who were the best of their class. There were two score in pilots to make up the vistar squadrons and another hundred to keep the large craft in optimum working order. She was the best there was. But even the best was not fast enough.

As the great ship cleared the Teron belt and the planet Terisa came into veiw, the silence of the crew was near deafening. The ruins of the orbiting space station hovered like a broken angel over the planet, debris floated like grendal flies around a corpse. This destruction alone stood as testimony to what they all feared awaited them on the planet.

Odin ignored the station, sensors had all ready told them that the damage was beyond surviving. Life signs were searched for; none were found. Everyone on board now knew of the attack. As the sensors focused on the heart of the Alliance and the ruins that was once the great city of Calodonie appeared on the viewer, reports continued to filter through the ship.

"We have reports coming in from all sectors."

The scenes of devastation rocked the crew of the Red Star as they began to scramble to their posts, ready to do battle against the enemy who had destroyed their home. The silence of their anger and pain was unbreakable. Odin took in the devastation, it was dis-heartening to think that the city which stood as the center of the Alliance could fall so easily. Anyone who had survived the initial attack would now be facing the Sadow warriors that had surely been sent to clean up.

"Ready a patrol. I want a vistar squad on that planet before we reach orbit! Send two squadrons down to the surface and a shuttle with two legions of ground fighters." Odin ordered as he began to formulate his attack plan.

De'mon looked at his console. "We have two legions ready for launch."

"Launch!" Odin watched the last of the reports roll from the static of the com and made a firm choice. The dark forces would know that they were there to defend themselves now. "Wipe those dark hoards from our door!"

4858

The area around the Teirsan corridor was filled with vistars. The stars were dwarfed by the gleam of their white skins, as the fighter ships flew in line formation toward the planet most called home. It was a dark time for the pilots who had no idea the horror they would find once they cleared the upper atmosphere and got their first good look at the city.

"This is Satray leader to Detra Squadron, I'm going to land at the pre-set co-ordinates and check in with our ground recon. Make sure that all the Sadow ground troops know we're here, boys."

"Copy that, Satray leader, we're going to blow those dark mag-raiders all the way back to the Empire!"

"Good Luck, my friends, Satray Leader out."

The vistar legion began to divide into several smaller groups as they covered the city. Reports had indicated that the dark forces were making a methodical sweep of the ruins, searching out and eradication any who may have survived the attack.

(O)(O)(O)

Treize had pulled up all the files he could find on the Maxwell family. Prominent barely scratched the surface of the families' place in Teirsan society. The current family lead, Sella Ormandra Maxwell, had been Zahr Rect of the Science Guild and the creator of the Alliance's current power source, tridian. Little is known of her familiar history but it was speculated that her blood line was of royal Teirsan blood. However that had paled when she had tested higher in the academics than anyone ever had before her. She had been offered full and open ranking, choosing to take on the science realm and becoming a seeker of knowledge.

Her mate, Willyah Drest Pormeorhn, was a high ranking Gov Council member. His current status listed him just below Prim Fresha, the elected leadership Guide of the planet. He had been among the elite in his classes during training and had been groomed from birth to be among the heads of GovCore. Their union had been, like most on Teirsa, arranged by parental or Gov Core and once they had been formally introduced at an attending conference, the date for their joining was set.

After two thyerox they sought tidings of birthing and were given a specific time table. Their son was born first and named Duo Regant Maxwell, after the ancient tribal leader of Bren Drech. Their second child, a daughter, was born a thyerox later and given the name of Terra Relena Maxwell.

Treize was surprised when he ran into a level alert on the children's names. It wasn't unusual for high ranks to be protective of their children but the wall built around the Maxwell siblings was almost impenetrable. There had to be something more but he was interrupted before he could ask for the clearance to search further.

"The Council wants you to reassure the Gov Tem of Teirsa that we offer any needed assistance." said Duke Dermail, the current Unian security head.

Treize nodded absently as Dermail's imaged flickered over the com. "I'm sure that will make them feel all the better about our re-calling our ships from the search grid."

Dermail blanched, his gray hair making his paled face seem almost white as he searched for the right words. "We had a very good reason for that recall. The Council . . ."

With an angry sigh, Treize closed the board he'd been reading and gave Dermail his full attention. "I'm well aware that the Council is a bunch of frightened old men seeking only to protect themselves."

"Com Kushrenada!"

Ignoring Dermail's shocked exclamation, Treize continued. "They recalled the ships that could even now be helping in the search for our dark enemy. Instead they forced us into a position of fear and cowardice that I must now make seem brave and logical. I just hope that the Teirsan Council is willing to understand their position in this matter."

Turning the board back on, he purposely ignored Dermail as he finished. "I will, however, endeavor to placate them and offer our full resources to their aid after the danger has passed." So saying he ended the com and closed the signal on Dermail's sputtering face.

"I just received word regarding my homeworld."

Treize looked up as Rashid sat down in the chair across from him. They had opted to travel together when orders had reached Treize about his trip to Teirsa.

"And?"

Rashid looked haggard as he rubbed a hand over his face. "The Sadow troops are under control and shuttles have done recon of several areas. A Starfighter is entering the grid and will deploy vistars as soon as they are able."

Treize looked down for a moment, silently offering sympathy. It was hard to see your world break when it could have been prevented.

"Reports are bad. The palza has been completely destroyed as well as several cathedrals. The dome is un-repairable." Rashid stopped and looked down at his folded hands.

Treize could sense that there was something else; something that Rashid was hesitant to speak about. Hoping to reassure him, Treize spoke his next words carefully. "Rashid, unlike the Unian Council, I really want to help you, but if you aren't completely forthcoming I'm limited by what I can do."

Rashid eyed the man and with a sigh nodded. He'd always known Treize to be fair and honest and knew the man wanted to help. "Teirsa's Gov Council has been cut." Swallowing hard, Rashid fought the angry tears down. "There was a meeting being held in Calodonie's Gov Centra, most of the high ranking heads were there. The Centra has been completely destroyed."

Treize quickly masked the shock at the crippling blow dealt the Alliance Center. "How many lost?"

Rashid gathered his composure before finally turning his eyes to meet those of the young Unian Commander. "The Terisan Council was fifteen; they are now six. The city of Calodonie's body was twelve; none survived. I also received word that the meeting was to include the Alliance Council."

"What?!"

Rashid sighed, stood, and turned away from Treize. "No one has heard from them since before the attack."

Treize Kushrenada knew what it meant for the Alliance Council to be in the midst of that battle. It would seriously cripple the whole of the Unified Systems for the Council to be taken out. Reaching for his internal com, he shouted, "Captain, set engines to max! We need to reach Terisa within the dial!"

13549863485434846484547475483282438959596857747485868

Once they'd reached the hidden alcove in the rubble, Duo fell to the ground next to the wounded Naijor. He tried to determine the warrior's wounds, but his armored body suit and hood made that next to impossible.

"We will be safe here for a few triax." The Naijor could feel his life's blood seeping from the wound in his chest as he faced the young cadet. The boy had more than proven himself and there was so little time left.

"I am the last of my clan. There are no others to take my place once I am gone." He could feel the youth's concern and suspicion as he whispered the words meant to give him fair warning of what was to come. "In my passing there will be no one to stand in my stead. The lives I have vowed to protect will be lost. I called and you answered. Would I wish it were not so, but you are the Chosen."

"I don't understand, you're going to be fine. There's bound to be a shuttle doing recon through here at any moment." Duo tried to hold his panic at bay. It was the first time in his entire life that he'd felt this kind of fear and it truly had nothing to do with the Sadow. No, this fear steamed from the fact that if the Naijor died no one would know where the Alliance Council was or if they were still alive.

Grabbing the boy's arm, he pulled the cadet to kneel before him. He knew with each breath that his time was growing shorter and the Sadow were getting closer. His clan had died nobly, their duty done, but he had yet to finish his. There was no other choice.

Duo felt the cold rise up again from behind him. He couldn't be certain if the Naijor felt it or not, but there was no time to determine if he did. Reaching down to the warrior's waist, he removed two stargs; before the Naijor could react. Duo whirled and threw the stars into the chest of an approaching Sadow warrior, it's death scream filling the air as it fell.

"We have to get out of here. That's going to bring another legion here and we need to get the Council to safety before that happens." Duo tried to stand, but the Naijor would not release his hold on his shoulders.

Slowly removing the glove from his right hand, the Naijor pulled the boy closer. The roar of an approaching squadron could be heard as the light of the sun touched the jewel of the Naijor Order embedded in his palm.

"Alliance forces." Duo cast his eyes skyward in hopes of seeing the ships as they approached. "They're driving back the Sadow. Now is the time to get the Council to safety."

When he tried to stand again the Naijor held him in place and moved his hand before Duo's face. The jewel glowed, it's power reaching out and captivating the boy.

Trying to ignore the jewel's call, Duo tried once more to move out of the Naijor's grip. "They'll start running attack vectors soon. We have to get the Council and get out of here."

"My life force is fading. There are no others to whom I can let my duty fall. You have proven worthy of my clan, Duo Maxwell cadet." The Naijor breathed heavily as he struggled to remain standing. He had to pass on his power and duty before his last breath came. "My duty must be fulfilled."

"Your duty can be fulfilled if we leave now and get the Alliance to safety. The doctors can patch you up in no time and then. . ."

The Naijor understood what the young cadet was trying to do, but he also knew the reality of the situation. His wounds were far worse than the boy knew and his life force was fading fast, but he was right in that his duty would be full filled. With the last of his strength he gripped Duo's left hand and pressed it hard to his right one. Palm to palm, he forced the jewel into the soft flesh of the boy's hand as he locked his gaze with him. Taking a deep breath, he recited the words of continuance.

"My duty done, I pass along to a chosen warrior the power endowed to me by the Sacred Order of the Naijor."

Duo tried to pull away but the Naijor held tight. He could feel the heat from the Protector's jewel begin to burn into his palm. A loud buzz filled his head and his vision began to darken as his heightened New born senses screamed. The burning sensations increased, as the Naijor Protector gave over his power and meshed his life force with Duo's own. For several mirax they were one; no secrets, no past. They embraced mentally, the Naijor passing his knowledge before releasing them. When the deed was done, the Protector breathed his last breath and passed on to the realm of the Father. His soul at peace with the choice he'd made in the young warrior.

Duo stumbled back as the Naijor's powers fused with his own new born abilities. Images swam in his head of long training sessions and the dials spent mastering the intricate skills of the secret Naijor fighting methods. Secrets sacred to the Order of the Naijor, told to no outsider, given to no other but their own, became clear to him. Somewhere, deep in his mind, he could see the High Authors of the Naijor raising their jeweled palms to acknowledge his becoming.

Shaking his head to clear it, Duo looked down at his own palm. He knew he would not see what he'd been given. The jewel, which all Naijor warriors received upon the completion of their training, was only a symbol; a mark of honor. His would be secret and silent, but none-the-less a part of him.

Stripping the Protector's shell of it's weapons, he readied the body for the pyre. Hiding the small pulse gun and laser stars in his boots, Duo folder the Naijor's arms across his chest and fired. The body flared in flame before vanishing into dust. From here on, he would journey alone fulfilling the duty given to him.

2374956659823698236592369234

"By all reports, Commander Lowe, we have four legions heading toward the surface of the planet. The Black Star and the Andrometha are both scanning their areas for Spectronian ships, but so far we have no indication that . . ." Major Karl Normbruex was practically running to keep up with the Commander's long strides as they headed for the Ops room one level below the bridge. He was trying to give his report as he had always done, accurately and throughly, but he knew that the Commander was only partially listening to him.

"It should never have happened, Karl." Shaking his head sadly, Odin allowed a moment for the anger to come and go. He could ill afford to let his emotions rule his head now. There was no one to truly blame but themselves for their own short sighted arrogance in thinking that such a thing could not happen. "I want all sensors in motion. They're out there somewhere planning their next move and I want to be there when they do it. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir, we have them all working as best as. . ."

"Not best Karl, I want results." Odin's voice couldn't hide the anger he felt. "I want them to pay for the lives they took! I want them to feel all the wrath of vengeance we can lay upon them!"

Karl moved aside as he and Odin stepped into the Captain's Brief. The Red Star had made good time, still several dials ahead of the Rising Star but not in time to save the Primary region of Calodonie.

"Satray leader reports that there are several survivors and that relief from the other cities is forth coming." De'mon, Odin's first officer was a large man of Ruszahrn descent. His black hair was cropped short and he wore a small beard and mustache. His deep brown eyes revealed nothing of his emotions as he pulled up the map for the planet of his birth. "Patrols flying over the city report no further Sadow activity."

The entire command staff was seated around the Ops control table awaiting their turns to give reports on the things they had learned since coming into orbit around Teirsa.

Odin sat at the head of the table facing the window that ran the length of the room. The room itself was austere, with only the long table in it's center and the Ops com center in the fore. It was a room that's sole purpose of design was for planning the strategies of war. Someday he had hoped to see this room put to a different use, but today it was needed.

"Has the Battle cruiser been located?"

All the officers exchanged looks before De'mon answered the Commander's softly spoken question.

"It's become apparent that the vipers which attacked could have traveled from outside the system under a cloak. Attacking under the order that they would not return, this would explain the severity of the attack. That theory is further enforced by the lack of a vapor trail that indicates anything bigger and the number of times the city was strafed."

Spinning around, Odin pinned his first officer with a lethal stare. "They could not have come in under their own steam and attacked as they did for the simple fact that the warning station on Bethran would have picked up their tracer, cloak or no! We've been fighting this war long enough to learn every little trick they can come up with!" Standing, he pointed a finger at each officer present, allowing them to feel the full weight of his stare. "I want to know where that Battle cruiser is and I want to know NOW! It has to be there, it has to be somewhere!"

2374283

The lead vistar veered off from the pack and headed toward Delfin Polls where all the current com-casts were coming from. The Polls were a local space port that allowed visitors into the capital city. A series of large building that were fanned out in a five point shape, they had been a grand mark on the horizon. But now the land was scorched and the area was marred by the dark marks of war. Of the seven buildings that had made up the Polls only three now stood intact, the rest had been reduced to little more than dust while the others had received fire damage; the enemy leaving them only to pursue other more important targets.

"This is Satray leader to Delfin Polls requesting landing clearance."

"You are cleared to land, Satray leader, and we are glad to hear from you."

The docking bay at Delfin Polls had been converted into a shelter for the survivors of Calodonie. The seriously injured had been shuttled to the nearest undamaged city of Nichrehn, those who remained were the scared and the homeless. There were women clutching children; men once the city's great leaders now sat staring blankly at the people around them; while others, in a state of shock, muttered brokenly as they wondered around the area. This was the aftermath of destruction. This was what happened when a planet ignored the rumors and remained convinced they were invincible.

Satray squadron commander, Derris Rehn, walked slowly among them assessing the damage and taking note of what was needed. He was a veteran of many battles since he'd been inducted over ten thyerox ago. He'd seen his own home land suffer the wrath of the dark enemy and watch it rise again to fight, but he'd never seen this kind of destruction. The wars of the past held nothing in which to compare to the devastation brought to the heart of the Alliance.

As in the past he'd been sent ahead to see what the damage had been done and how bad the invasion was. He had been greeted by the bedraggled crew of survivors who had begun to piece together what had happened for him in quick and, sometimes, hysterical words. Their priorities were in order of food, medical, water, and shelter. Questions asked ranged from 'why' to 'is it over', standard questions in a war zone. Not meant to be spoken in a city where war was something long passed. He answered them all as best he could before asking his own questions, but none of them had any knowledge of the Alliance Council and Derris was beginning to fear the worse.


	5. DEC

**just a little note- I replaced Quatre with a character named Broden because I really need Q in another place -and it was going to be impossible to get him with Trowa otherwise- **

**DEC/ ****THREE**

Duo stumbled over the debris as he attempted to get his senses under control. Every sound, no matter how soft, echoed like a shout inside his skull. The light hurt his eyes, his visioned doubled before sharpening on a single small movement and zooming in. The soft patter of dripping blood, the squeal of scavengers fighting for a meal, the last breath of the dying all seemed to assault his senses until he finally fell to his knees wanting to scream.

Grabbing his head, he forced air into his lungs pulling his power to him. He moaned as the blood burned in his veins, his skin became so sensitive that every thread in his tattered uniform seemed to rub him raw, every brush of the wind was like ice cutting into flesh. Using the training, the things forced on him by the Facility, Duo began to slowly gain control of the Naijor power and merge it with his own. Threads wove themselves in and out of his mind, binding the energy of one into the other until finally the Naijor power was part of the New Born.

It was a few triax before the fire ceased on his skin; another few mirax before he could open his eyes without pain. Slowly his body was adjusting and he was able to look around at where he was. To his surprise he was in the tattered center of the Entertainment District, having no idea how he came to be there.

As he came slowly to his feet, the center of his left palm began to burn. Looking at it, he was surprised to see a faint bluish glow pulsing just below the skin. Stretching out his hand, he jumped when a map suddenly formed within his hand. The bluish sphere became lines with markers in yellow, showing him the way to a chamber long hidden in the depths of this area. Even without the Naijor power, he would have known that this was where the Protector had brought the Alliance Council to insure their safety.

Somehow, even as dazed as he was, the power had lead him to the point where he could look for the Council. Committing the map to memory, he began to pick his way through the debris. The sphere remained his guide even though he no longer needed it. It had something to do with the promise made and the duty to be kept.

Moving around the bulk of the debris, Duo found his way to a large wall of stone. It was too organized to be anything other than man-made and bore the marks of several phase hits. Closing his left hand, Duo examined the wall carefully looking for the trigger that would open the door. Finally in the center of the wall, there was a large polished stone. Squeezing his left hand, he sighed before carefully placing the palm flat against the stone. There was a vibration as the jewel hidden in his palm pulsed against the stone before it flashed and the wall split revealing a tunnel.

The walls of the tunnel were lined with illumians which enabled Duo to see in the dim light. They were smoothed and re-enforced with tellium, making them almost indestructible. Checking the area around him, Duo cautiously stepped inside. As soon as he was within the walls a low hum sounded and the door slid shut, a protective measure to insure the Council's safety.

The tunnel sloped downward, deep into the heart of the planet until it leveled off and the walls grew brighter. At the end of the walk was another door, this one more decorative, more luxurious. A key pad of small jewels was on the face and without thinking, Duo touched five of the stones and the door swung open.

The room was dimly lit, but Duo could still see how opulent it was decorated. A crystalline holo-globe balanced in the center of a small fountain; a floor covered in a thick rampart of wool; and walls dusted with macron crystals and murals of meadows. This was no spur of the moment safe haven, this had been here for a long time.

Stepping quietly into the room, Duo felt decidedly out of place as he stepped around the globe and toward the back of the room. There, at a long table, sat the six members of the Alliance Council- three human; three non. These people were the leadership of the truth, the guide by which they all went by. They were the governing body above all others.

Duo's gut tightened as he looked upon their hooded vestments. In his memory flashed the image of looking up into ones such as these. Each had worn a mask of darkness and thought of pain as they had grabbed at him, pulling him from his father's arms. So deep within this memory, Duo did not see a member of the Council rise, push back his hood, and approach him until the man was almost in front of him.

"I am Tri Quor Fermeldon, how did you get in here?"

The man was thick chested and big. He had thick dark brown hair which he wore short and styled to part across his forehead. His eyes were light and clearly marked the man's origins as that of the planet Una.

Taking a deep breath, Duo calmed his mind and allowed his senses to focus on the task at hand. . .seeing the Alliance Council to the safety of Polls.

"This place is no longer safe. We have to get moving. Is anyone injured?"

"No, we are all well. Who are you?"

"My name is Duo Maxwell, the Protector sent me to lead you to safety."

The Council exchanged looks before Fermeldon motion for them to rise and join him. "We're ready to follow where you lead."

Duo nodded, unsure by the ceremony in the phrase used, and lead the way down the tunnel. Checking to make sure all had followed him, he re-opened the door by pressing his palm to another stone and told them to wait while he checked to make sure it was safe.

Outside nothing stirred. The Sadow had been eradicated by the patrolling vistars and there were no warriors patrolling on the ground. Motioning for them to exit, he took the lead.

"By the Father!" The soft gasp was murmured by them all as they got their first look at the destruction the Spectronians had wrought.

"Eblahn!"

Duo recognized the Nomian curse and turned to see one of the Councilmen covering his face to ward off the stench of death. He had long ago shut his mind to the sight of the charred bodies. The cries of those left for the Sadow no longer reached his ears. But now, looking around with the eyes of the cloistered Council, he could see the shock and the horror of it all. He'd put off his emotions upon finding the pyre of his father, now they all came crashing back. The anger over the arrogance that had left his home unprotected; the grief over the loss of everything he knew; and the overwhelming need for vengeance.

He forced himself to tamp down on the strongest of the emotions before turning to Councilman Fermeldon. "Be careful and follow close."

Fermeldon nodded, pulling his hood up to cover the horror on his face. His heart broke upon looking at the ruins of the Alliance Capital city. The unnecessary death and destruction brought down on the innocent, all because of their presence in this place. Looking at the boy, who was now their protector, he cried for the lack of expression and the dead eyes. How many more would die inside as this youth had?

"They've set up a command center at Delfin Polls. That's our destination." Duo took a steady breath before taking the lead and heading out into the rubble.

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"We've scanned eight edgeway quads, Commander, they have not attempted to leave the area."

Odin looked hard at the image of the Rising Star's Commander. He looked like a boy of only eighteen or ninteen thyerox, but with his race age could more often than not be determined by looks. Notorious for having long life spans, Dawntians always looked younger than they truly were. But this Dawntian, Broden, was heralded as the youngest in the Empire to receive a Starfighter Command. This alone made Odin suspect that the golden haired, aqua eyed youth was as old or as young as he looked. "Has your fleet spread out to cover as much as possible?"

Broden's eyes narrowed slightly at the unintended slur against his tactical and leadership abilities. It was only the older Commander's haggard appearance that stopped his usual comment.

"The fleet has spread out in a wide pattern. We allowed only a drek of sensor overlap between each quad. Nothing has been detected so far." Broden hated that he had to report on a failure and understood the Teirsan's want for better information.

Odin sighed and nodded tiredly. Somehow he'd known that the Spectronians had not left the system after the attack.

Looking up at the youth, he tried not to sound as if he were reprimanding him or alluding that he could not do his job. "Did your sensors detect anything unusual or out of the ordinary?"

Broden pursed his lips, thinking carefully on all the information he'd been given. "There was a report from the Del Tren stating that they detected minute traces of formyte. It sent a searcher to track the trail but it dissipated almost as soon as the searcher picked it up. The searcher couldn't be sure whether it was tracking an old trail or if it was a faint trail left behind by the attack group. I've ordered them to follow it as best they can along the outer orbit before it's completely lost."

Odin had been hopeful until that moment. "What about traces within the system?"

Broden looked away from the com before answering. "The Del Tren read it for seven quads before the Andra picked it up again. Both sent out searchers; one within and one without. Neither have reported anything positive. We will . . ."

Alarms flared drowning out whatever else the young Commander was saying. Odin jumped at the sound and waited for the boy to report.

"Sensors have picked up a war craft in quad skedish. It's too small to be the lead craft but it could be a scout." Broden spoke quickly away from the com before giving Odin word. "I've dispatched fighters to track and report."

Odin groaned, skedish was on the far side of the system, too far for the Red Star to join in the battle. "Good hunting, Commander Winner. Red Star out."

Broden nodded. "You as well, Rising Star out."

Odin stared at the blackened com screen for a mirac before the alarms on his own ship flared. Jumping up, he ran toward the bridge hoping that they had found what they were looking for.

"A sensor pod as been destroyed baring ish, meich, quor. Last transmission garbled." De'mon reported as Odin took his seat at bridge command. "I dispatched a searcher drone but it's almost a certainty that it was Spectronian."

"Commander! I'm picking up heavy amounts of formtye!" Trella's excited voice echoed over the bridge com, her eyes remained glue to her station. "I have four, no, five distinct trails!"

"Get the squads ready for launch and alert the fleet. Move us out of orbit and check all weapons!" Odin ordered.

Wufei moved nearer to his friend and Commander. "Do you think it wise to move the fleet at this time?"

Odin knew that his friend was merely being the voice of reason, but he could not take the chance that their enemy was setting to attack elsewhere. "I'd rather wait until we have a firm confirmation but if it's an armada we don't have a chance alone."

Wufei nodded and stepped back to his station to alert the rest of the fleet of his Commander's orders.

"We have sensor lock on a vapor trail."

Odin leaned forward as his nav com and sensor officer shouted his report. They had been scanning the area with everything they had and nothing had shown itself until now.

"Readings, Con Regas."

Regas was young man, having only been aboard the Red Star for three tours and had earned the respect of his higher ranks. He'd never taken the command of any of the missions before, but here he was in his element. His specialty was finding that which could not normally be found and he was so glad that he now had.

"Sensor echoes put the trail at sector drehm grid qzhar. It's faint almost non-existent but it's there." Double checking himself and getting a confirmed reading, he looked up toward the command deck. "It's a defiant Spectronian trail."

Odin nodded and sank back into his chair. It had begun. "Lay in a course and send out the com. Let's get those bastards!"

"Commander! We have reports of a Spectronian Battlecruiser, Barax class, clearing the Karn Drex two pars from Mefour!"

Alarms sounded through out the large Starfighter as the crew scrambled to the ready.

"Cut me the fastest course to that sector and I want all Starfighters placed on status alert. It's going after Una! Contact all fighters and Starfighters to converge on that area and sweep the sector for any disturbances inside the system!"

Odin's orders were carried out with as much speed as possible. He could not allow their enemy to strike again.

"What is the status of the patrol on the planet?" Odin asked his first officer, Erith De'mon.

"We just sent the remainder of the Satray squadron down to make a final sweep. They and the Gammon are to report back to us once their sweeps have been completed. The Detra is back aboard and awaiting orders." De'mon confirmed.

Odin nodded and took his position on the higher bridge of the Command deck. He wanted to be able to see what was out there.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to confront the enemy. We are sworn to protect all those worlds within the Alliance. Our enemy has struck at the heart of our legion and now they intend to attack others under our protection. This cannot happen." He paused just long enough for his words to sink in. "I want full reports every fein triax. I want two sensor sweeps on all sectors within ten leagues. Let's make sure this battle is payback for Calodonie."

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The Spectronians had left nothing to chance. Their attacks had been precise and brutal. The protective dome had been shattered in the first wave and for the first time in Caledonian history real sunlight touched the Teirsan soil. But the cost, so great the blood that mixed with that light that it looked like rich deposits of rubinore scattered over the ground. As Duo lead his group of hooded figures through the rubble, the Council bore silent witness to the devastation the Sadow had wrought. Bodies, of what had been only the injured, had not survived their assault and were now charred heaps; testaments to the killing force of the Spectronian weaponry.

Duo knew that they would never make it to the Polls before dark fall. What would normally be just a few short trans stops or a half dial on a convey, would take longer on foot. No one had ever thought how large Calodonie had become since it's first incarnation. Raising a hand, Duo silently ordered the cloaked procession to stop while he made his way over a mound of debris, hoping to find a safe harbor for the night.

"A shuttle!" The Councilwoman scrambled over the debris, her hood dropping away to reveal the pale green beauty of a Nomian.

Duo turned and caught the gleam of sunlight on metal. He focused on the light and his vision sharpened on the abandoned craft.

"No!" Reflexes honed from thyerox of testing helped him get off the rubble and in front of the Councilwoman mere mirax before she reached opened ground.

She screamed as he grabbed her and lifted her struggling form off the ground, swinging her away from the shuttle.

Councilman Fermeldon ran up to them and took the Councilwoman from him. He was surprised by the boy's strength and speed and wondered if it were a natural phenomenon or something the Naijor had transferred to him.

"Grendahl. Calm Grendahl." Fermeldon held her tightly as he watched the boy turn to look at the shuttle sitting in the open. "Our protector has spoken law."

Duo glanced back to see the woman immediately calm down and wondered briefly why those words were spoken with such reverence toward him. Dismissing them as something only the politicals understood, Duo turned back to the shuttle.

There was an iridescent glow surrounding the craft. Duo blinked several times to make sure, but it remained there softly reflecting the fading sunlight. Taking a few cautious steps forward, he extended his left hand until he felt the resistance of the shield. It blinked, a tiny pulse reverberated against his palm, resisting his touch.

"It's shielded." He spoke the warning loud enough for the Council to hear before making his way around the debris searching for the thin veil that would allow him safe passage.

Sounds of battle echoed through the twilight as Duo's fingers finally found what he sought. Few would know of the spot let alone how to dismantle the protective crevice, it was an old but effective way to insure that none other than those familiar would survive the shield. Twisting his wrist, he parted the veil and stepped inside. The stench of burned flesh was almost overwhelming as he walked cautiously toward the shuttle. He wasn't worried about the enemy but any other traps that the crew may have set before they passed.

The bodies of the crew lay inside. They had fought a hard battle, obviously trying to save as many civilians as possible, if the amount of charred corpses were any indication. Pulling a warrior out of the door, Duo laid him carefully on the ground before stepping inside. He had to disable the shield first so the Council could be protected while he lay the dead to rest.

Inside the pilot lay slumped over the controls. Her wounds had been mortal but she'd made it to the second chair in order to set the grid before dying. She'd gone beyond the call of duty in order to keep the Sadow from retrieving the shuttle and the information it may have contained.

Gently, he lifted her back in order to reach the controls and made quick work of shutting down the grid. Once it was down, he activated the rayar to alert them to any ground forces coming and stepped to the door, signaling to Fermeldon to bring the group on. Without sparing them a glance, Duo began to grim task of removing the dead crew from the ship.

"By the Father." The words were spoken with a quiet reverence as Duo carried a crew men out. A hooded Councilman knelt over the body.

Duo caught fragmented whispers of a Serrian prayer of passing as he laid another beside his fallen comrade.

Fermeldon watched silently allowing Ahl Boren his time to make peace with the souls lost. The boy showed no emotion as he laid body after body down, pulling the crew from their stations as if they were nothing. Curiously there was a gentle sort of reverence in which he lay them and with each he made a strange, almost imperceptible motion with his hand over the body before going to retrieve the next one. It was almost as if he were blessing the bodies, some ancient Teirsan ritual of passing, but not one he'd ever seen before.

The pilot was the last to be laid to rest. Duo was extra careful with her as he lifted the fallen warrior from her seat. The woman deserved better than to be laid on the open ground, a pyre of honors should have been her final grace but that was not to be. Checking over her uniform, he found the key card to the shuttle's activation and gave a silent blessing to her.

Looking up, he shut out the Serrian's prayer and the bodies laid in perfect attention on the ground. "It's a standard hauler, no luxury but her engines still work."

Fermeldon gave a quick nod and motioned for the Council to precede him on board. The Serrian, Ahl Boren, was the last to board before Duo who made a quick check of their surroundings before shutting the door. Taking the pilot's chair, he began the pre-flight procedures as if he'd done them a tau times before.

"How far are we from Delfin Polls?"

Duo glanced at Fermeldon who had taken the second chair. The man was watching him closely and making Duo more and more aware of the politicals presence that surrounded him. Doing a quick rayar check, Duo took a breath before answering.

"A dial, maybe more." Duo really didn't want to speak to any of them, especially their leader. "It depends on the Sadow and the patrols."

Fermeldon smiled at the efficient, yet cryptic way the young warrior spoke and moved. No excess movements, no repeated motions, all controlled precision with limited emotional expression. _'So young to be so old,'_ he thought as the engines roared to life and the shuttle lifted slowly off the ground.


	6. QUOR

**QUOR **** four**

"This is Satray Dec reporting in. Section fein quarter drehm is cleared. Enemy forces have been eradicated."

"Check Satray Dec. Proceed to section qzhar quarter drehm."

"Check, check.'

Satray squadron executed a perfect turn, the shadow cast on the ground by the vistars was reminiscent of birds of prey. It had taken far too long to clear parts of the city than it should have. The ruins made it hard to identify certain areas and the Sadow were the best at camouflage. Charred bodies and piles of rubble made for excellent hiding places and made sensors almost un-usable.

"Caufay, I've got a rayar contact at partrum och."

Caufay, the pilot of Satray Dec and the leader of this patrol, looked at his rayar to confirm. He, too, had the blimp. A low flying, slow mover that kept blinking in and out.

"Looks small."

Caufay ignored Dwyers' comment and turned to intercept. He knew that any thing in the air could be a potential enemy ship. They were very clever in using whatever they could find to sneak under the net.

"Shuttle, carrier classification." Baily was Satray's expert on all things that flew. He could tell by the sound what a ship was and by it's echo how it was armed. "Could be tagged. Has limited arms and heavy shields."

Caufay had to agree. It was well known that all Alliance rescue ships were accounted for. Those that weren't were assumed destroyed or left grounded. Any of those the enemy could use and would use to get inside any protective area they'd set up.

"Satray Meich, take the squad to the next field. Baily you're with me."

The squad split, Satray dec and fein pairing off to intercept the shuttle.

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"Tretar!"

Duo struggled with the controls as an explosion rocked the shuttle from below. Looking at the rayar, Duo saw that the near by fuel depot had been destroyed by a dark wave of Sadow warriors. Given their position and the shuttle's, he knew they'd been spotted. The next jolt confirmed it as the Sadow turned their attack skyward.

"Hold on the something!" Duo shouted the order toward the rear of the shuttle hoping the Council had strapped themselves in as he began evasive maneuvers to avoid the weapons being trained on them. "We're almost there!"

From nowhere a vistar dived and took out most of the advancing Sadow legion. Duo fought to keep the shuttle out of the vistar's wake, but the shuttle still shook and lurched toward the ground.

"Tretar!" Duo cursed again as he tried to level out the shuttle as yet another vistar appeared and banked up around them to head toward the ground legion.

"Is everyone all right?"

Fermeldon was surprised that the young pilot was taking the time to see to their needs. Straightening in his seat, he murmured a quiet reassurance. "We are find, Protector. How long before we reach safety?"

Awed by the youth's piloting skills, he braced himself as the shuttle was brought under control again and banked sharply away from yet another barrage.

Duo tried to gauge their position but the rubble below made landmarks impossible to recognize.

"I've got to try to get in contact with those vistars." He didn't voice the fact that the need was to ensure that they were alerted to the fact that the shuttle had not been taken by the enemy.

Fermeldon looked out the port to see if he could tell where they were, but the rubble was almost unrecognizable until he spotted a circle of columns. "There!" He pointed out the pile where only the columns stood. "I recognize those as the columns that stand around the Jurdation building."

Duo barely recognized the name of the religious building as he pulled the shuttle around and away from the legion of Sadow who were now advancing up the steps.

"Delfin Polls is exactly two clicks to rit."

Duo pulled the controls to avoid the next wave of attack as the vistars veered toward the legion, firing upon them without hesitation. Banking rit, he followed the Councilmon's directions away from the battle and toward the safety of the eastern horizon.

"Transit shuttle waver five to identify." Caufay tapped the com as he maneuvered to take out yet another Sadow battery. He couldn't open fire on the shuttle without first establishing that it was indeed taken by the enemy. When he received no answer, he fired on the target below and cut to dog the craft in front of him. "Waver and identify or I will be forced to fire!"

". . . Ish. Shuttle Ish. . .Alliance Council. . . Delfin Polls. . ."

Static broke the signal as Caufay lined his fighter up with the tail of the small craft. The broken words shocked him. It was rumored that the Alliance Council was on Teirsa but no one had confirmed it. Now he just had to confirm the message. Flying ahead to run parallel with the shuttle, he took a look at her pilot. He was young, almost too young and as he fought to control the wavering ship Caufay saw the flash of gold next to him. Council colors!

"Alliance Council!"

Baily swung his vistar into a formation to trail behind the shuttle, to protect it's rear engines as he watched the craft dance. He was awed by the pilot's skill and ability to maneuver the bulky craft through two fields of Sadow cannons without taking a hit.

"Baily, we've got the Alliance Council on board that thing!" Caufay's words were spoken with reverence and speed as he dove to take out another cannon placement. "We've got to get some help out here!"

"Satray squadron this is Satray fein, converge on section drehm quarter fentic. Sadow cannon placements are in the area." Baily calmly sent the com as he fired on the ground, hoping to block their lock on the shuttle. "Leading shuttle Ish to Delfin Polls. Check."

Caufay took lead and gave careful instructions to the young pilot, thinking that the boy must be terrified being so unprepared for this battle. In his own mind, he could see the fear in the boy's eyes and knew that he was thankful for the vistar coverage he now had.

But Duo was anything but thankful. He cursed the vistars even though he knew they were trying to help, but the lead was slowing him down and cutting his maneuverability. It was too dangerous to keep the shuttle hemmed in between the two fighters, it made for too easy a target. Without thinking, Duo began to dodge out seeking open sky.

"It's a cut and run! Caufay look out!" Baily saw the shuttle's engines flare and alerted his wing. The pilot was good, tregahn good and knew that between the fighters he had little protection.

Caufay had only a mirac in which to dive and avoid the shuttle's wash. But the shuttle didn't fly straight over him, instead it banked right and then dove avoiding a hidden cannon none of them had seen. Caufay was hit. The vistar shook as it's wing was nicked by the barrage.

"Better let that guy lead." Caufay growled at Baily's soft reprimand. For a kid who'd probably never seen combat, he was good almost uncanny in his flight accuracy.

Caufay winged back to pair up with Baily as they followed the crippled shuttle through the heaviest of the cannon fire. Both vistar pilots had seen combat and knew that it was near impossible to clear a field without taking at least one hit, but the shuttle did. It was as if this pilot, this boy, knew exactly where the next shot was going to be fired before it was even let loose. If Caufay were a superstitious man he would almost swear that a Nahjet was one flying that thing.

"This is Satray dec requesting clearance for Shuttle Ish." Caufay shook off the imaginings as he made the com for the wounded craft. He didn't want them to get this far only to shot down within view of Delfin Polls. "Be advised the shuttle is carrying the amber."

"Check, Satray dec." the female controller paused before asking. "Did you say amber?"

Caufay smiled at the shock in the voice of the com controller. It was a great honor to hold the Council, but rare to hear the actual code used for them.

"Aye, control, I said amber."

Baily smiled as the com controller fell all over her words as she cleared them to land.

"By the Father." Fermeldon murmured the prayer as he looked down to see the damage the great station had incurred.

While some of the buildings still stood, they were barely recognizable. The center sphere had once been the controlling hub, it was now open. Gaping holes marked each hit it had sustained during the battle and the perfect symmetry it once had was now gone. Most of the outer buildings were rubble only and none were recognizable. The communications, facility housing, and way-stations were gone. The building that once housed the hospice facilities and pass check still stood but it was little more than a shadow of it's former glory.

Duo guided the shuttle to one of the few undamaged ways, lights indicating which one they had been cleared for. The vistars gave him a quick wing turn before heading back out to continue their mission to eradicate the Sadow from the city.

The shuttle landed with barely a thump and Duo began to power down all the systems even as several armed patrollers burst forth to surround the shuttle. Reassurances from the vistars not-with-standing, the surviving crew were obviously not taking any chances.

"I'd best go first." Duo released his belt and moved to the rear of the shuttle. "The rest of you follow when I give the all clear."

Fermeldon had followed the young protector to the door and took his place next to it to keep his fellow Councilmen from bolting. Duo opened the door and stepped out onto the mac.

"State you name, rank, and affiliation."

Duo kept a close eye on each patroller and the weapon he carried as he raised his hands to show he had no weapons. He knew they were nervous, he could feel it washing off them in waves but he had to make sure that none were quick to trigger before he brought the Council out.

"Duo Maxwell, cadet, Academy classification zotish meich." Duo waited before adding. "I have the Alliance Council on board seeking entrance into protection."

Fermeldon had listened to the name and was surprised at the identity of their new protector. He motioned for the others to remain silent as they too, heard the boy's given name. For them it explained so much. This boy, their new Protector, was one of the reasons they had come to Teirsa.

A balding man pushed his way through the patrollers. He wore a tattered Patrol Commander's uniform and the rank of a mere Partoo. His large frame blocked the guns of several patrollers as he grabbed at Duo's shoulders, his grip almost crushing.

"Did you say the Alliance Council!?"

Duo could only nod, but the man was already pushing him aside and leaning into the shuttle. "Praise be the Father!"

He turned to the gunners and motioned for them lower their weapons as Fermeldon stepped out, followed by the other hooded members.

"We had feared you were dead."

Fermeldon allowed the little man to touch his arm as he locked eyes with their young Protector. He allowed the youth to see the recognition in his eyes and saw the question pull a frown to the youth's face. Breaking the contact, Fermeldon focused his attention back to the nervous Patrol Commander who was bowing and cowing to them.

"We are so grateful that you live. No one could say one way or other as to whether you had cleared the city before the attack."

The patrollers opened a passage through them as the Patrol Commander began to lead the Council toward the building. He continued to fawn and bow as fast as he could, his words almost falling over themselves as he spoke.

"The Chief members of the city Council were sent to Nichrehn. It wasn't hit as badly as Calodonie. They were feared that you were lost to us." The Patrol Commander was becoming more and more like a grendah fly with every step and fawning word he took. It was as if he were trying to endear himself to the members for some reason. "We were going to send out a patrol as soon as the Sadow were eradicated from the city. We had them all ready to go. . ."

Fermeldon finally held up a hand to silence the little man. "We understand the reason. As you can see we are safe now. Is the communication service still functioning?"

The sweat that had formed on the balding man's head and lip now began to run. It was hard to tell whether nerves or heat was making the man so jumpy, but Duo was finding it harder and harder to look at him as he moved around. "The communications array wasn't affected like some of the other systems in the city. The main array was well out of weapons range."

Duo had caught the hesitation in the man's answer and was puzzled by it. "What other systems?"

Fermeldon was glad to hear the softly spoken question come from the boy. He had feared that once they had reached the safety of the building the boy would leave them or be pulled away, but the Naijor had chosen their protector well. It was rare that even in death one would chose a human to take over their duty. It could have been dehils before a worthy protector arrived to bring them to safety, but the Naijor had given his power to this youth; finding in all the destruction, the only light Teirsa had to offer. With his name spoken aloud, all of the Council finally understood why he had been chosen and were aware of the great service the Naijor had done for them.

But the Patrol Commander had no such knowledge and turned in surprise to eye the boy. He'd thought that the pilot would have gone about his duty and returned to the fight, but here he stood looking at him with eyes that reminded him of the dark waters of the Fjordic, changing from light to dark purple with each breath. Wiping the sweat from his face, he prepared to give the impertinent youth the dressing down he deserved for interrupting when the Councilmon's words stopped him.

"The cadet is our Protector."

Duo wondered again at the ceremony by which Fermeldon spoke the words and was surprised by the reverence the Patrol Commander gave them.

"Yes, Councilmon." The little man bowed before turning to offer Duo a begrudged degree of respect. "The other systems effected were the data systems of the Great Chapel Facility, the housing system, and Govern Facility records were all lost along with the trans rails."

Fermeldon nodded as he began to move toward the lighted passage of the building. "We really need to get to the communications station to alert the members of the Grace that we survived."

Duo followed behind the Council, his sense still on alert. While Delfin Polls was the haven from the city that did not mean that it was safe. The news that the Facility records had been lost, perhaps for good, was both good and bad news to him. He'd spent most of his life captive to those hallowed walls and now all record of his very existence may be gone. His father was dead, his mother had passed before that, and his sister's location was unknown though he knew she lived. He would probably never find her now that the city was in chaos and the records no more than a scrambled puzzle of information, but he would try.

Duo paused inside the building, his eyes having to readjust to the light. He was unprepared for the strength of the emotions that greeted him. The large inner room had been transformed into a make-shift refuge with triage and surgical centers set up in the stores and med stations placed along the walls. There were so many people that it was almost impossible to avoid being touched. So many who had lost so much that it was almost inconceivable the damage done to them.

The able walked aimlessly, eyes glazed by shock and muttering to themselves about inconsequential things. Duo had to pull his arms tight to his sides to avoid bumping into them as he walked, but it was the women who sat huddled with their children that drew his eyes. Tears still fell from some, while dirt tracks marked others as the fear of loss screamed from their souls as they hugged tighter to their young ones. It was impossible to ignore their need and to feel their terror as the hooded group passed before them.

Fermeldon had drawn his hood upon entering the building, keeping his face from the view of those around him, but he caught the protector's movement as he moved close and away from the crowd. He'd noticed how the boy withdrew from touch, keeping himself just out of the reach of those around him, but he could tell he was drawn to their pain; to their fear.

"We've taken over the upper decks where the equipment is still working. A vistar pilot had taken command there to coordinate the attack on the Sadow." The Patrol Commander ignored the cries of the injured and shut out the sight of those who had come to them for shelter.

"Then a Starfighter is in the area?" Fermeldon was not really surprised by this news.

"Starfighter?!" Duo's attention shifted back to the bulky Patrol Commander.

The Patrol Commander tamped down on his irritation at the young cadet's constant interference. Protector or not, he was becoming a nuisance.

Fermeldon could see the rise in the Patrol Commander and quickly pulled the man's attention back to him, thinking it best to halt any potential conflict quickly. "How far away is the Starfighter?"

The Patrol Commander summoned the lift and took a calming breath. It wouldn't be long before the boy was pulled from the Council and put back into active duty. He could wait. "One came to orbit three dials ago. It has since left. The pilot will have all the information we'll need."

The Patrol Commander stepped aside as the doors opened to allow the Council to enter first. He then stepped in before the pilot, programming in their destination.

Duo was the last to enter, his mind touching the crying child closest to the doors. The child became quiet and watery eyes the color of smoke locked with eyes now the color of glowing laster. Fermeldon watched the silent exchange. The child reached up to pat the tear stained face of the woman who held him before smiling at the Protector. As the doors closed, the Protector closed his eyes and when they re-opened they were no longer such a light shade of purple, but had become black as nilih and hard as shard.


	7. FEIN

**Okay you asked for it, I'm going to try to upload faster and get this thing in gear without catching up with myself. If it slows down a bit you know that life or the story has caught me up and I'm working on it. Thanks for the words, just wanted to see if it was moving fast enough.. ;/**

**(O)(O)**

**\native language spoken\**

**FEIN****// FIVE**

As the lift ascended, lights flickered on and off. Duo felt the uneasy heat of a med scan going over his flesh and heard the almost silent beep as it completed it's review of the occupants. It was a quickly put together security option, little used in this dehil and time, but for a city now under limited resources it was perfect and alerted the scanner who was of what decent.

The lift opened to the control room in the upper tier, a stark contrast to the chaos below. Men and women in uniforms of various colors and rank moved around a room filled with quickly put together consoles and com systems. Everyone moving around in assigned tasks, doing their duty as if everything were still normal. In the center of the room was the hub, a large console was laid out with hard copies and holo-maps with several people standing over them.

"Command is running at optimal efficiency and we have established some communication outside the city limits." The Patrol Commander continued to gush as he lead the group off the lift. "We have been linking up with the rescue shuttles on the outer reaches as well as the vistar squadrons sent out to patrol."

"Commander Uroff." A young woman meet them as they stepped off the lift. Her eyes were light gray and her hair was a twisted mass of reddish gold, tendrils coming loose from the twists that fell to either side of her head. She was dressed in a snug uniform of blue-green which placed her in the med guild and carried a med com , but it was obviously not her uniform since it was too tight and the name and rank had been removed.

"This is medical tech Sally Po. She is from the outer reaches. We're very fortunate to have her." Patrol Commander Uroff pulled the young woman to his side and puffed out his chest as if he had personally something to do with her medical knowledge. "She helped install the med scan in the lift so that we could detect not only enemy forces but any injuries or biologics. She has been invaluable."

The young woman looked decidedly uncomfortable as she slowly extracted herself from Uroff's grasp. She tapped the medicom she carried and began to read from it.

"The Council members are cleared of any injury or disease, as are you Commander." Uroff beamed. "However, the cadet has sustained two fractured ribs, sprained a healing wrist- right hand-, a slight concussion, and several other minor cuts and abrasions that should be seen to."

Fermeldon was shocked by the list of injuries. Turning, he pushed back his hood and looked really good at their protector. For the first time he noticed how badly torn the boy's clothing was. There were stains of blood from new and old injuries along the torn areas on his legs and arms. He'd never said anything about pain nor did he display any, then or now.

Duo stood as still as possible hoping against hope that the Council would not take this woman's words to heart. He'd known about his injuries, known about each of them upon receiving them. The ones that had been healing he knew he'd strained, but he'd shut out the pain just as he always had. In time they would heal, he was quick to do so, but if they insisted on him going into a med then he would have no choice but to comply.

"If you will follow me, cadet, I have a med unit all ready for you." Sally motioned for him to proceed her and was surprised when he did not. She turned to see him standing almost at attention, not really looking at any one or anything in particular.

Fermeldon was not surprised when the boy did not immediately follow the med tech. "Protector, you must have your injuries seen to."

Duo took a breath and relaxed his shoulders in acceptance to the softly spoken order. Not for a mirac did he delude himself into thinking it was concern for his well being that spurred the words as he turned and followed the young med tech. After all a protector could not do his job unless he was at full strength and though he knew he could, they didn't.

"Our Protector is very strong." Ahl Boren's words were soft and meant only for Fermeldon's ears as the two watched the young protector go with the young woman. "He is not at all what one would expect."

Fermeldon had to agree. In all the thyerox they had served as the Council between this Alliance and the Dawntian Empire they had searched for that one who would lead. They had heard the rumors and checked the reports as time and again a worthy soul would be brought before them. They had all failed and in their darkest dial a single light had flickered and their Naijor, the all knowing of the Order of Protection, had found what they, themselves, had been seeking.

A true New Born. The true Nahjet.

(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)

"Please remove your tunic."

The room was just as Duo suspected, cold and white. It was meant to give no comfort to the needy but to effectively repair any damage before sending them away. It was like all the other rooms he'd ever been taken to.

"Cadet?" Sally drew an uneasy breath when the cadet turned to look at her. He was quiet, emotionless, his face impassive. He reminded her of the warriors who'd returned from battle, hard and unrelenting and while she'd like to reassure him, she just didn't have time to do so.

Duo slowly undressed and placed his tattered tunic on the table before allowing the med tech to place sensor pads on his chest and arms. He knew the drill backwards and forwards, the sensors would locate the ill and the machine would send in tiny microscopic mechs to repair the damage. Sometimes he felt like he had so many of them inside him that he was not even human any more.

Sally tried to remain calm as she placed the senors on him. Even injured he was a sight to behold. His hair was dark, long passed his shoulders which was in itself unusual, but that braid he kept it in made it more so. His body was that of an athlete, strong and sculpted, smooth to the touch. He was, in her opinion, beautiful.

Turning, she gasped. One of the hooded figures had followed them and had silently been behind her, watching. "C..can I help you?"

"No." The voice was soft and deep, invoking automatic trust. "I am merely here to keep vigil."

Duo was surprised by the Councilmon's answer, but did not take it to mean anything other than he was once again on a short leash.

"My apologies, Councilmon, but there is little room as there is and . . ."

The cloaked figure moved swiftly and was in a corner seat before she could finish speaking. "I will simply sit and observe."

Duo's narrowed as he looked at the deceptively compliant creature. He knew the Serrian was doing more than observing, but that's all it would look like to the medical.

\wanting to keep an eye on me?\ he spoke in the Councilmon's native tongue as he allowed the woman to lead him to the medunit.

\not at all.\ Ahl Beron was surprised that the boy could speak the complicated language of his people, not many even tried to learn more than a phrase or two as a courtesy. \you were injured in the act of releasing us. I am merely seeing to it that you do not deny yourself the treatment you need to become whole again.\

Duo frowned at the figure as he took his place on the med unit's slanted board. He stiffened as Sally placed the restraints over his wrists and angled the light onto his chest. This unit was not enclosed which was the only reason why he was still here, still it reminded him too much of how it was in the past. As the hum of the machine began to vibrate through him, he felt the healing sleep come over him. He had to force himself to give into it, the eyes of the Councilmon locked on him from his seat.

(O)(O)(O)(O)

Derris Rehn was a top pilot but a less than stellar diplomat. When word reached them that the Alliance Council had been found alive and well, he was more than happy to relay the information to the Red Star. He even stepped aside to allow them the use of the communications array so that they could contact the Grace to let them know they were well, but he refused to bow to them when it came to the decisions of his men.

"Councilmon, I understand your position, but you have to see that the city has to be cleared before any ships are sent off world. We can't risk that the Sadow would transmit a signal."

The Council had requested, then demanded, to be allowed off planet. The Grace and the Empire both were behind the demands and there was little that Rehn could do about it. He couldn't spare the ships it would take to protect them.

"We have a Spectronian Battle Cruiser out there somewhere and only three Starfighters close enough to look for it." Now he would try reason. "If we spare the ships to escort you to another planet then we stand a chance of losing our grid and that Cruiser coming after you again."

Fermeldon had let Councilmon Drahzzahs take over when the Grace had demanded that they leave the planet. He sided with the pilot, there was no reason to leave here except for certain member's fears that they would be attacked again. He would let them fuss before re-asserting his position of High Council to control the situation.

"I demand that you follow orders, pilot, and get us a shuttle!" Drahzzahs' voice gain volume with each word he spoke. He was a man used to getting things done and done quickly. "We want off this planet now!"

"You won't be safe off world."

The words were spoken from behind them and in a tone that brooked no argument. All eyes turned to see the Protector, his body was healed and his voice was dead calm. "There will be no shuttles leaving this world until the Starfighters clear their passage."

While Drahzzahs would have argued with the pilot, even with the Starfighter Commander himself, he would not and could not raise his voice to the Protector. No one spoke against the Protector's will as it was meant to keep them safe. It was the first law the Order had laid down when assigning one to them.

Duo swayed a little as he walked into their midst. He'd awakened a few triax ago healed and weak. Ahl Boren had been there to see that he was well before the two had stepped out of the med to hear the raised voices. Duo assumed his position as protector once again, knowing it was the only thing that would stop the reckless fear of the council.

"The Grace sends their greeting and honors, Protector."

Once again the ceremony of Fermeldon's words caused Duo to frown. He had taken on this role only to finish what the Naijor had started, once that was done he fully expected to be freed. What he would do with that freedom had yet to be determined, even if he was, in fact, free to go.

"Pilot Rehn was just informing us that the Starfighter Red Star, from which he comes, has detected a Battle Cruiser in the area." Fermeldon used his stature to inform the young protector of what they'd learned knowing full well that Uroff would never have allowed it. "He believes that they will be engaging the enemy in no time."

Derris Rehn eyed the young warrior. Caufay and Baily had checked in with him after they and the other members of Satray squadron had taken out the Sadow cannons. They had told him about the pilot's uncanny skill and almost spooky sense of knowing. They had been shocked when he'd told them that the pilot was currently in med with a series of injuries and that the council had named him as their protector. Now looking at the boy, and that was surely what he was, he could not see any battlefield experience written on his face and yet. . . there was something in his eyes that spoke volumes.

"The Red Star is coordinating with the Black Star and the Andrometha. They think they've found a vapor trail and a confirmed sighting." Derris frowned, trying to figure out why he was sharing this information with the youth. There was something about the boy that made him want to make sure that he had all the information he needed, whether he was due it or not.

Duo nodded and stepped closer to the table to look at the maps. His mind was quick to memorize the grids and the locations of each of the Starfighters, but as he tried to place the Battle Cruiser where they had he kept sensing only black.

"With the Red Star in pursuit it should be no time at all before the Cruiser is destroyed and you can leave the planet." Uroff strutted as he stepped toward the table. "We can get a shuttle ready to launch in a matter of triax."

"The Red Star has the Cruiser placed in grid ish-ish-och." Derris pointed to the area in order to show the young cadet exactly where the ships would converge. "They're coming in a standard bavry pattern. If the Cruiser doesn't get a lock it will be caught unaware."

Duo nodded as he looked at the map. He placed a finger on the coordinates that Rehn gave, still he sensed nothing. Giving the pilot an appreciative glance, he stepped away from the table and allowed Uroff to once again take center stage.

Derris watched the young cadet move toward the large windows and away from the group. He suspected something though there was nothing concrete to put his finger on. Feelings only counted in battle and in space; this was neither. Besides how would he explain to his Commander that a _feeling_ had lead him to giving charge over to a mere cadet. With a shake of his head he returned his attention to Uroff and the Council to reassure and over ride any erroneous plans.

Duo let the conversation wash over him as he stepped up to the window. He watched the activity on the field as the Commander talked to the Council and the pilot about the procedures to be followed in eradicating the city of the Sadow.

"Serra."

The word was barely a whisper and yet the vistar pilot heard him. "What?"

Duo turned meeting the pilot's eyes, hardly aware that he'd spoken aloud. "What about the dark side of Serra? Has it been scanned?"

Uroff was tired of the young _cadet_ always butting in. You would think that he was the leader here and not himself. "The Commander of those Starfighters know what they're doing. I think we should be glad that there are _experienced_ pilots up there to protect us. Gratitude is all they require from us."

Duo ignored the man's harsh tone and shut out all the control room as he turned back toward the window. He was aware of Derris Rehn's eyes locked on him or the Council's stilled patience, but he knew that neither of them could do anything. For thyerox the Facility had honed his gifts, his curse, making him into something they could only barely control and now he would use that training to help his people. They had wanted a weapon, a future warrior to fight so that others would not have to, but he had fooled them all. He wasn't a mindless drone to do as told, they had not broken him. The Alliance Council had named him their protector but in his heart he was the protector of all of Teirsa. He would do what had to be done with everything he had and the Facility had equipped him well.

Uroff continued to talk, pointing at the map and trying to gain the attention of the Council and the vistar pilot. He was aware that they were only half listening, paying close attention to what the boy was doing. When he looked up all he saw was the kid standing by the window gazing out at the field with blank eyes; a child given over to mind dreams. He could not understand or fathom why these illustrious individuals would give some one of obvious youth any attention.

Taking a few controlled breaths, Duo focused beyond his surroundings, beyond the city scape, beyond the planet itself. He continued to breathe slowly, deeply, as his senses searched the grids in his mind to find that which he could not see, pushing himself further than he ever had before.

Then he saw them. The Starfighters were converging in a standard bavry maneuver as he'd been told. It was a classic wave of attack pinching the enemy between forces he could not or would not think to see. There were three moving slowly around the area they wished to attack, with a fourth coming in from the outer realm. However, in this case it was the hunters who would be surprised, for the Battle Cruiser wasn't where they imagined it to be.

The Spectronian Battle Cruiser was cloaked, their standard procedure when entering into their enemies's arena. In this stealth mode they could easily slip in and out undetected, hitting anything they wanted yet keeping themselves from harm. The Starfighter Commanders would have taken this into consideration using the latest in technology to search a trail, one that was thin and not easy to hide; only this time the enemy had found a way to disguise itself.

"It's not there." His words were a whisper and not meant to be heard as his senses touched the place where the Starfighters thought the enemy to be. It was black, still darkness, empty space. The Battle cruiser had used their technology against them and had planted a trail for them to follow away from their intended target. The Starfighters were following false echoes and not looking for any of the anomalies which would mark the ship's true path. This was where their arrogance got them, computer guidance followed blindly with no regard for the secondary checks. They had been lead astray and did not even know that their enemy was even now getting ready for another strike.

He knew they would not listen to him, Uroff had all ready said as much and the vistar pilot would not believe what data could not back up. The Starfighter armada waiting in formation, had taken the course that would lead them toward Tor, but the Spectronian cruiser was not going that way. Echoes had taken the armada away from them and, like a dark specter going in for the kill, the cruiser would reach Serra in less than two dials.

With a shake of his head, he made his decision. As the named protector he would do what he had to, what had yet to be demanded of him. Without speaking or looking at anyone in the room, he left the command center as quietly as possible. He'd waited for just the right moment, when the Council's attention was drawn away by the pilot and his was taken up by Uroff. No one would see him leave nor would they know that his intended destination as the vistar waiting on the tarmac below.

88888888

FYI- Some of the names within this story are actually names from other GW series or mangas- Found a whole list and decided to use them. Thus if you see () then you will know -I hope I remember this- that this is a GW name. PS- I HATE IT WHEN MY KEYBOARD STROKES WON'T SHOW UP!!!!


	8. SHOR

**_Mmm, I hadn't realized I'd left that as a cliff hanger- oh well I think they all end in that form. hee hee. As for ages- well let's see - All of the G-boys with the exception of Wufei are fifteen/sixteen. Wufei is around twenty or so. Heero and Trowa will be showing up soon, it's just going to take a little time. Odin Lowe is actually Odin Lowe (although for how long I'm not sure- in the original story line Commander Roth (Odin) dies and a younger member takes over -planning on it being Heero maybe, but it's actually Mark (Duo) in the original. References in language at the bottom. _**

**_OOOO_**

**SHOR \/\/ ****SIX**

Duo had to bypass the main building, using instead the emergency stairs which were un-guarded only because they had been hit during the attack. Two levels down the whole outer wall was gone and the structure became unstable. Taking great care to avoid falling through the gaping holes, he grabbed on to what was left of the guide rail and vaulted down to the next level. It was slow climbing from there, the steps swung free in many places and he could hear the walls groan with each sweep of the wind. On the last level, he was pleased to find that the stairs were intact and the face of the building still stood, albeit weakly. Stepping out of the cover of the building, he moved toward the broken tarmac and his goal- the lone vistar hidden there.

On the ground a thin layer of real sunlight was just moving over the horizon. It was hard to believe that the dials had passed so quickly and a new dehil was dawning. The moment he stepped onto the open tarmac a stiff chilly breeze pulled at his torn tunic making him gasp. He'd never felt the cold before and the chilly air only served to remind him of the total destruction their enemy had wrought.

It took most of his control not to stop and stare up at the exposed sky, turning colors in the break of morn. No Teirsan before this had ever seen a true sky over a city before, they all were covered in domes to protect and serve the inhabitants within. They had been built so many genernes ago that no one was certain as to why they were formed since the world outside them was not polluted or poisoned in any way. Some thought it was so they could control the climate better, but Duo didn't agree with that. Something had made his ancestors cover their cities, hiding them from those above and while no one now knew. It was somewhere in a lost writ, a tome yet undiscovered, the truth behind this deception.

Moving with stealth, Duo let the shadows hide him as he made his way toward the lone vistar. It had been placed in mid-field, hidden among the bulky bodies of the shuttles and ground transports. Patrols had been set up, not only to secure the ships but to watch for the Sadow. They virtually ignored the secured ships in the yard, knowing that no one would take them without authorization. To do so meant death, no matter the reason and Duo knew this. He had little doubt that when the sun was high the shuttles would lift off in search of more survivors, but for now they would remain silent and cold. This would be his only chance.

Sneaking around the shuttles were easy, the guards remained focused on the perimeter, their path unwavering. Taking a deep breath, he made a quick dash to the vistar and froze, his senses telling him that he had gone unnoticed. Reaching out an unsteady hand, he reverently touched the nose of the sleek machine. Droplets of dew burned cold into his warm skin as he moved his hand along the silky skin of the craft. It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, a true piece of engineering art, and he'd always longed to fly one.

Vistars were built for speed and maneuverability. They were sleek crafts with thin cylindrical bodies; their wings beginning in the body's center and tapering back to make the ship look like a giant arrow. The engines were a tri-cluster resting in the rear of the craft. Smaller thrusters built into sections of the collapsible wings gave the craft it's ability to make tight turns without losing speed; speeds only dreamed of on land. Laser sights built into the nose and sensors placed alone the entire body structure made the craft virtually impossible to sneak up on. It was a machine built to ride the ribbons of space and designed for battle.

This particular one was white with a long thing red stripe running down the length of it's body. On the tail section's high fin rested a sun-star design, the representation of the squadron to which it belonged and the Starfighter where it was housed. The name of the pilot was written along the seal as well as the kill number. On the canopy, itself, were embossed miniatures of the Alliance and Teirsan flags.

Touching the canopy sensor, Duo was surprised to find it unlocked. It opened with a gentle whoosh, loud in the stillness of the morning and enough to make him look around to insure that it had not been heard. When nothing changed, he lifted the housing and quickly climbed inside, shutting the canopy softly behind him. He placed his hand on the inner security activation panel and held his breath. There was no turning back now.

RDA scans made the securing of the canopy almost redundant, for without the pilot's programmed RDA the computer would remain silent; the vistar's engines dead. In normal circumstances it was impossible to over-ride the RDA since it was unique to the single individual, but Duo was not normal and was quite familiar with this system. While his RDA could not be altered, he could overload the system and re-program the computer. Placing his right hand flat on the dark panel, he sent a light surge of energy into it. There was a spark, the computer blinked, and then it spoke in acceptance.

'_RDA accepted. Vistars systems activated.'_

The computer's voice, though unemotional and level, was loud in the quiet of the cockpit. Softly feminine, it was meant to be a calming, soothing, presence in the darkness of space generating trust and alleviating loneliness.

"Computer, activate flight controls and begin launch prep." Duo ignored the computer's compliance as he pulled on the safety harness and placed the flight helmet on his head. Checking the weapons array, he took a deep breath and began to punch up the path of ascent.

Simulators and design specs were not the same as the real thing. The hum of the engines and the electronic warmth of the computer could not be simulated, nor could the low throb that coursed through the sleek craft giving it and it's pilot life. It was like being inside a living thing. He longed to take a moment to savor the feel of the craft around him but there was no time for such frivolity.

Duo made quick work of the check list and pre-flight programming. With a final look around, he ordered the engines raised and placed his feet firmly on the runners. Taking the controls in each hand, he pushed the code to activate helmet controls and eased the throttle up. A silent prayer to the Father rose in his mind as the craft began to slowly move clear of his nesting place.

The shield slid down in front of his eyes and the read-out activated. Weapons, engines, and flight data rested in a grid near the corner of his right eye, while the grid near his left eye was the rayar and sensor data.

"Computer, commence launch sequence."

'_Launch in fein. . .'_

Duo arched the engines and listened as the hum grew louder. The sleek craft broke free of the line of parked ships and moved toward the open tarmac.

"Scanners to ratio."

'quor'

"Safety locked."

'dec'

"Engines primed to max launch thrust."

'meich'

"Weapons active."

'ish'

Duo could see the brilliance of the new dehil as the vistar rocked to the edge of the tarmac.

"Thruster control activate"

'zoe'

"Launch."

Duo pulled the controls toward him and braced himself. The pressure locked him against the seat as the vistar shot up the tattered tube and into the sky. In a matter of mirax, he was in the upper troposphere and breaking through the thin blue line into the dark. The city of his birth a mere spec on the planet behind him. His path now clearly set.

(O)(O)(O)(O)

Ahl Boren knew the moment their young protector had left the room. He also knew the moment Fermeldon became aware that the youth was no longer with them. Sometimes his Serrian abilities were a curse, but he was glad he was the only of his kind in the room. As he exchanged a quick knowing glance with Fermeldon he understood two things. First, that the older Councilmon was not about to alert the others and second, that they were united in backing whatever actions their Protector decided to take.

Fermeldon stepped up behind the pilot and placed a hand on his shoulder. Neither looked at the other as he spoke softly, "The Council has sanctioned."

Derris acknowledge it with a small nod; knowing better than to question whatever was behind the cryptic words. He was sure that he would find out and before he could even begin to speculate a young guardsman rushed into the room. The boy was nervous and sweating as he quickly informed Commander Uroff that a ship had launched without permission.

The control tower came alive with action as the crew tried to figure out which ship and why it would leave without authorization. It took several triax for them to realize that it was the vistar that had been taken and several more to realize the pilot was not Derris Rehn. Guards were questioned, com signals were sent, and Patrol Commander Uroff sweated while the Alliance Council gathered at the windows to observe the fading vapor trail.

Derris Rehn let the crew handle the stress while he moved back to the maps. He was just about positive he knew who had taken his ship and was not inclined to share his suspicions. The young cadet had courage and obvious skill, it would be interesting to see how far those traits took him. Besides the Council had sanctioned.

OOOOOOO

The vistar hit open space with barely a tug as it left the planet's gravity. Once beyond the planet, the darkness seemed to open up and welcome it's new visitor allowing the night to fade into a more comforting shadow. For Duo it was like stepping into a warm room, dimly lit but none-the-less welcoming. Unfurling his senses to check his heading, he could not hold back the gasp of surprise. It was like nothing he'd ever felt before.

What was a vacuum to most was filled with life for him. What was a dark recess was suddenly filled with light and color. What was a silent void was now awash with sounds the likes of which he'd never heard before. There was more than a freedom in the sensations that passed through his body; more than an awakening. The openness of space held no restrictions on his abilities. There were no voices to stop him, no people to give him pain or pause, no barriers to deter him, here only his body kept him grounded. It was like being re-born. . . a New Born.

In the past he'd never understood why they called him that, why that term. The Nahjet were feared and hated and often times killed before knowing themselves. Had the ancestors known that beyond their world their abilities would blossom and bring forth a new understanding? Did they fear them even as they heralded their next evolutionary step?

It was no wonder that his ancestors had been so enthralled by the lights they saw in the dark sky. They had not known how to reach them, so they had given them names, given them stories, given them myths, all in the hopes of understanding the lights that looked down upon them. When the Teronians had arrived the myths changed and the Teirsan people realized that each light represented a planet which may hold life. The stories that were told around the fires were now about life on those worlds and the languages they may speak. That change had fueled the Teirsan's desire to know more.

Now as he floated slowly toward the Teron belt, he came to understand why the ancient Teirsans had strived so hard to reach out beyond the confines of their world. It had been born within them with each new Nahjet adding to the call. Once the Teronians had been integrated into the tribes it was only a matter of time before the highly adaptable, quick to learn Teirsan people embraced the ideals of life beyond their own. Seeking out the technologies which would enable them to speak and touch that life they tried to reach for the lights. In what should have taken several genernes beyond them, they reached out and grasped the technology that would let them do this. Thus it was sooner than any would have thought, they were soaring above and beyond the clouds themselves. How exciting it must have been for the first Teirsan to escape the bonds of their home world and see the stars without having to wait for darkness to fall.

Now here he was with all of it within his own reach. Experiencing for the first time what it felt like, truly felt like, to be free. It was all there for him to touch, to sense, to become part of and for a triac he was afraid. Afraid of losing himself among the stars that had kept his ancestors so enthralled and the Nahjets so feared.

"Hey, Derris!"

He'd been so lost in the sensations that Duo had failed to notice the vistar squadron that came up from the moon's dark side. Pulling himself together, he make quick work of punching in the numbers that would take him inside the belt and away from the planet. He could not afford to be stopped now, not this close.

"Derris, I thought you had orders to remain planet side with the Council?"

Duo continued com silence, ignoring the seven vistars drifting into an orbital recon around the planet. When the computer bleeped and began to guide the vistar into the dense belt, he breathed a sigh of relief. He could have done the flying manually, but chose not to it call attention to himself. Unlike the normal vistar pilot, his senses would allow him to anticipate the nols movements, giving him a more accurate guide than any computer. In fact, the program used by the computer was based on tests the Facilitators had done on him. It was an anticipatory program he'd written later to enhance the parameters of the original program that pushed the accuracy close to his own. There was no other program like it, the ships using it could navigate the belt at any speed they chose without fear of even the smallest nol getting through. It was one of the few good things that had come from his confinement.

(O)(O)

As Satray Ish vanished into the dense Teron belt the rest of the squad was at a loss.

"Hey Jaxon, what's up with Derris? Think he got some new orders?"

Jaxon, the pilot Satray meich, ignored Bane's question and began the calculations to enter the belt.

"Satray squad punch up co-ordinates to enter the belt. Com-share to warp and begin tracking on Satray leader."

"All right!" "Lock it bags!" "Lite the fuse!"

Jaxon ignored the cheers of the other pilots. Unlike Korber, Mangus, and Mikels, he was a more experienced pilot, had seen a lot of battle and did not feel jubilant at the prospect of flying through the belt. He knew something big was about to happen, he could feel it. The silence from their leader's ship was enough to make his skin prickle in anticipation.

(O)(O)(O)

As the rayar struck the edge of the belt, Duo keyed up the computer controls.

"Computer calculate engine to warp sekch mirax after clear." The computer blinked an acceptance to the order while Duo prepared for the change in speed.

'_Vistar squadron incoming.'_

Duo checked his rayar and saw the seven trans signals of the approaching squadron. Wary of their persistence he opted to continue com silence and pushed for a little more speed.

"Derris, what in helios is going on?!" Jaxon had to force himself not to shout as the lead vistar began to pull away. Derris had not responded and with a sudden drop in planetary communications they had no way to know what his new orders were.

'countdown commencing'

With a sigh, Duo closed his eyes bracing himself as he punched in the target co-ordinates.

"What the. . .?!"

The pilots of Satray squadron stared in shock as the engines of the lead ship flared before jumping to warp and disappearing from sight.

"Do you think maybe he got orders from the Council?" Dwyer attempted to come up with a plausible explanation as to why Derris refused to speak.

Jaxon frowned and began an active rayar sweep as soon as he cleared the belt.

"What're we gonna do?" Banes really hoped they'd decide to go after Rehn. "We're suppose to be on orbital patrol."

Jaxon knew what they were ordered to do and he knew what they had to do. While the two contradicted each other his first instinct was to follow his commander and instinct had always served him well. While they may not know what Derris was up to or had been ordered to do, they would back him as they always had. Without question, without remorse, and without hesitation.

"Com share new co-ordinates. Set engines to warp command in drehm mirax." Jaxon fed the rayar lock into the computer and waited for the others to confirm.

"Check." "Check."

Once they were locked, Jaxon punched in the system locking in on Satray Ish and hit the command.

'countdown commencing'

123987

"Sweet Holy Father. Sanctified Mother." Rashid murmured as the shuttle came low enough to make out the damage wrought by the Spectronian attack.

"Sweet Sepho." Treize added his own blessing to the murmur as he leaned over to see what had upset his friend so much. "Can you make anything out?"

Rashid slowly shook his head. Every building; every street; every throughway was gone. There were no markers; no pillars; no people anywhere that he could use as a reference.

"Commanders, we have the com at Delfin Polls." The flare of the internal alerted the two Commanders that there was an incoming transmission.

Rashid leaned forward to activate his com. "This is Quor Commander Rashid Kurama requesting updated information on the Alliance Council along with landing instructions."

Treize smiled and shook his head at his friend's almost absent minded request for clearance as he took his own seat across from him.

"This is Delfin Polls. Your pilot has all ready given coding for landing, the Council is awaiting your arrival in the control room." The female voice was precise and calm. "Command is under Patrol Commander Geron Uroff. Delfin Polls control out."

Treize raised an eyebrow at the quick dismissal. "Not so seasoned a comtroller after all."

Rashid released the comlink and frowned. "A Patrol Commander is in charge. Wonder how that came about."

Treize shrugged. "More than likely he was a sole survivor of highest rank."

Rashid shook his head. "More like he was a power monger who saw a chance."

Treize frowned at the worry written on his friend's face. "Look, so the man took control as long as it's under control what does it matter."

Rashid would like to think that way, but something wasn't right. "The Alliance Council would have not moved from their place of safety without their Protector. A Najor has always been assigned to high rankings before so why was he not the one in charge. Even with a ranking officer, the Protector out ranks everyone there. Me included."

Treize had heard of the famed Najors but had never met one. No one on Una had the need for them because the high rankings never left the safety of their icy fortress. Perhaps it was the Order's strict rules that had truly kept them from Una.

"Would he have taken command from this Patrol Commander?"

Rashid shook his head. "I'm not sure."

"We'll be landing in three triax, Commander." the pilot announced before either man could come to a conclusion.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Okay quick references: dehil/day -nihil/night -triax/minute -mirax/second -dial/hour -thyerox/year -nol/asteroid -rayar/radar -I think I'll put more in my bio so check on that later. \waves tiredly- yawns- and disappears.\


	9. SEKCH

**Okay here is the next ride. I was going to let you know all the GW names I used but there are so many that I opted not to. Let's just say that I don't own them, Bandi does -or something like that. I do own the plot. You may touch it, stroke it, play with it, but you may not steal it. **

**SEKCH \0/ seven**

Serra. A large blue gas giant listed seventh in the orbit around Sol. Three moons circled it, Belvahrd, Jakoba, and Tet, guardians of the three largest of the floating continents visible from orbit. Swirls of blue, green, and gold gave the planet an eery life-like quality, making it seem to breath as it swung on its axis. To humans it was a beautiful jewel to look upon but it was unable to sustain their life, but to the Thonians it was the perfect place for a colony.

With an atmosphere heavy in hellum, menophose, and huren, no humanoid life could step onto it's land. This atmosphere was perfect for the Thonian race and after finding it, they sent out their ships to take colonize this beautiful world. A civilization completely hidden from their neighbors. A place where none would know the extent of their technology; the numbers of their people. They would be able to flourish in peace; to grow as a species without fear of being hunted or destroyed.

So it was that in the Teron standard thyerox 917, those who chose to make Serra their home declared their independence from the Thortalluc Regime. Since few of the other planets within the system had developed, the war between the colony known as Serra and the Regime went virtually un-noticed. The lights seen in the sky were considered omens, good or ill, by the young Teirsan race since they were too small to be anything more than flashes. In the end the Regime let the Serrians go and the planet became their true home. Choosing to isolate themselves from their home system, they destroyed all history of where they came from in order to become true Serrians. They, has a species, changed and made themselves over to be barely recognizable to the Thonian race.

When the Dawntian Empire began mediating between all the worlds of the Terrax system, the Serrians were contacted and convinced to attend council on the planet of Teirsa. Once there, they signed the Alliance pact acknowledging the system and it's inhabitants. Because of this, the Serrians reformed Jakoba so that the atmosphere would allow the humanoid populace a place to meet with their ambassadors. They made changes in their appearance in order to appear more human and adapted to a new language. While they became apart of this new order, they remained forever shrouded in mystery. Their true language too hard for humans to comprehend, their intelligence too high to be ignored, and their strategic thinking too exacting as not to be an asset to this new Alliance, all in all the Serrians considered themselves the guardians of war and the keepers of the true nature of the Terrax system. For them, it was a matter of honor to give wisdom to the fight and aid in the younger world's battles.

But as the ominous shadow emerged from the Karn Drek, it was this older world that was in danger and in need. None of them, with their great intellect, thinking that they could be attacked in the same way as the other worlds. Little did they realize, that the Spectronian Empire had developed a special weapon just for them.

Admiral Verderon Acht was a highly decorated officer. He'd served in his Master's honored guard with distinction and had all ready won many worlds over for him. His reward had been a promotion and the command of his own vessel. However, not just any vessel would do for one such honored as he, to his great pride his Master had rewarded him with the first of the line in new Battleships.

Called the Dark Death, she carried twice as many squadrons of vipers and four legions of Sadow ground troops, making her the most heavily trooped ship in the known Spectronian fleet. While that alone was impressive, she was not a simple hauler. She was a half-length larger than the standard Alliance Starfighter with turrets that ran down the center. Her armor was re-enforced with Tellium and Sherodom, metals found on worlds all ready conquered by the Empire, and her body had fourteen gunnery placements running along each side. Her upper mass was protected by laser re-enforced sight to sight pulse guns and her forward and aft were armed with twice as many torpedo tubes as any made before her. Her greatest feature, however, was the various arrays along her body that allowed her to send false echoes and hide from the enemy. It made her a virtual phantom in space. All in all, she was a vast killing machine created to take on the Alliance and win.

Standing on her bridge, Acht felt like he was the master of all he surveyed and with the blow to heart of the Alliance assured, he was more than confident that he was about to single handedly take over the Terrax system. The boon for him would be a planet of his own and as riches beyond his imagination.

"Admiral, we are within launch range of the Serrian planet." The mechanical voice of the navigator broke Acht from his reminiscing.

With a sly smile, that could only be called maniacal, he voiced his order clear and loud for all to hear. "Launch full squadrons to attack the planet and take out the moons!"

"As you command." Came the monotone reply.

The sound of the call was like music to his ears as he clasped his hands behind his back and watched the darkness fill with the bodies of the attack vipers.

09809

Duo came out of warp on the dark side of the Karn Drek. Serra shown to the left of his readout, a jewel against the yellow-brown shadow that made up the Lymar Mekx, the largest of the gasal webbings that moved throughout the Terrax system. Swinging his ship around to face the Drek, he took a moment to get his bearing and plan his next move.

'_incoming vistar squadron._'

Duo sighed as seven vistars fell out of warp in a near perfect alignment to his own. They had followed him.

"Derris, what's going on?!" Jaxon had to demand this time, he'd disobeyed orders to follow his leader on this errand and now he wanted answers.

Duo didn't have to answer the angry question as the Battle cruiser came out of the dark recess and into the light.

'_spectronian battle cruiser now entering sector t-meich-ninh._'

"Holy Father!"

"Would you look at that!"

The whispered words echoed along the com-link as the other vistar pilots got their first look at the enemy craft. It loomed like a dark demon, bigger than anything any of them had ever seen.

"I think we'd better. . ." before Jaxon could finish his thought he gasped in shock as the lead vistar's engines flared again and the pilot maneuvered the craft to angle the dark shadow.

"Tell me he's not going to do what I think. . ."

The lead vistar picked up speed and headed directly for the Spectronian battle cruiser without hesitation.

"Red Star, this is Satray meich. Location sector t-meich-ninh, we have Spectronian battle cruiser sighted. Unknown classification approaching Serra orbit dec-rete. Be advised squadron leader is engaging." Jaxon began to quickly calculate how much time they had before all helios broke and the battle began.

"Jaxon, he's. . .!"

"Satray meich this is Red Star." Jaxon wanted to breathe a sigh of relief when the voice of the com controller came on, but he knew that it didn't matter what she said Satray Ish was on it's way. "Orders are to stand down. Do not, repeat, do not engage enemy craft until we are in position. High speed takes us to your position in two triax."

Jaxon shook his head as he watched the lead vistar dip into the dark shadows in order to go undetected by the enemy rayar.

"You're too late."

The words washed over them like a wave as Satray Ish broke cover and headed toward the cruiser's under belly.

"Squadron fall in on Satray Ish."

OOOO

Acht sneered as the last of his viper squadrons faded from sight. Their next target would fall as swiftly and as easily as the Alliance home world had. Rubbing his hands together, he imagined the shocked surprise on the faces of the arrogant Serrians when the first squadron lay their cities to waste. It would be several hours before the report of this success was sent.

Giving the order to alert him once the attack began, Acht headed for his dining cell and the reports he'd yet to send. The first one being the victory of the Teirsan city's destruction.

Acht smiled as he remembered ordering the attack on the jewel of the Alliance. The puny planet never knew he was there. He'd sent two full squadrons in the first wave and three in the next, but the glory was the two wave of Sadow he'd landed in the heart of the High City. He had not remained to see the justice they had wrought, confident in the orders he'd left them to lay it all to waste.

Sitting at his high table eating as he read through the reports, Acht was pleased to see that the Alliance planet was still trying to fight free of the attack. The squadron he'd sent down to Serra would destroy the moons first, then the cities on the continents before heading for the next possible location of the Council.

A sudden jolt sent the fine glass plates to the floor and forced Acht to his feet. Growling he jerked away from the table and made a grab for the communications lock at the door.

"What the hell is going on!"

There was another explosion and Acht sneered at the console before palming the door. Red lights were flashing in the hall way as uniformed troops began to scramble to their combat stations.

"We're under attack, Commander." A mechanical voice echoed over the din of lights and alarms as Acht continued his way the bridge. "Radahr indicates no Starfighters in the area."

Another explosion rocked the massive ship and Acht snarled. If it wasn't a Starfighter then it must be a meter shower or something natural because nothing else could harm his great ship.

"Give me a status report!"

Acht burst on to the bridge to find his nav-crew working as only the mechanicals could. The entire ship had been equipped with the latest in cybernetic synthoids and they were programmed to do their jobs no matter what. Damage was irrelevant to them and the condition of the ship was their top priority. Nothing meant more to them than an order he could give or the work they were programmed to do they were created to serve the Empire.

Another explosion rocked the ship as alarms echoed through the control room.

"What the hell . . ." Acht cursed as he grabbed his command chair to steady himself.

"Radahr remains clear." The emotionless mechanical voice of the nav-controller reported. "No Starfighters visible."

Another short burst shook the ship as Acht sneered. "Activate skin sensors!"

OOO

Jaxon had trouble believing what he was seeing. The huge Spectronian Battleship had weaknesses and Satray Ish knew where they were. With the lead vistar's first pass of the underbelly he found a chink in the hull and rocked the mammoth ship with a strong explosion.

"Jaxon?" There was a surprised uncertainty that swept through the squadron as they watched the lead vistar make another pass.

"Red Star, this is Satray squadron." Jaxon closed his eyes for a brief prayer to the Father before continuing. "Attack run commencing."

OO

Odin stood as the transmission from the squadron was received, this was not good. No single vistar squadron could battle a fully deployed Spectronian Battle cruiser.

"Check Satray, we are only two triax from your position. Do NOT engage!" The com-officer all but screamed into her mike.

"Nav-com, I need high warp and a course cleared to Serra space!" De'mon shouted the needed orders as the full scope of what was about to happen sunk into the minds of the bridge crew. No vistar squad could destroy a Battleship, it was a fact that they would all be killed.

"Andrometha and Black Star report an increase in speed. They estimate arrival at destination four mirax after our own." Com reported, her voice catching with nerves.

"Get my Heero." Odin ordered and stepped into his lounge.

"Battle stations! All guns, torps, and flyers to station!"

"All squadrons ready to launch a mirax after destination."

The crews orders and words washed over the bridge until a single spoken line caused silence. Inside his lounge, Odin pulled up the com and waited for the image of Squadron Commander to come up. Heero Yuy was the youngest Squadron Commander in Red Star history. He'd more than proven himself to Odin after his first thyerox as Squad leader. Now he commanded all of them.

Heero's emotionless face appeared on the screen. "Commander."

Odin would have smiled at the greeting, standard for Yuy, but things were too volatile. Looking at the messy moss green hair filling the top of the screen and falling into dark blue eyes, he could see the dedication in the heart of this young warrior.

"Heero, I need you to have your squadron launched in zotdec mirax. Satray is taking on a Battle cruiser without the cover of a Starfighter."

Heero frowned. This didn't sound like Derris Rehn at all. He considered, like the rest, their squad was their brothers, sons, fathers, you did not endanger them un-necessarily.

"We'll be hot in zotmeich." came Heero's reply and the transmission ended.

Odin sat back with a sigh, then punched up the com again. "Tell Satray we are on our way and that Detra squadron will be there before us."

"Yes, sir."

O

The message reached them as Jaxon came to a decision.

"Too late." came the whispered reply from the battling vistar.

Jaxon had almost whispered the words as he watched the lead vistar make another run. '_Too late.'_

"Satray squad heat up and prep weapons." The silence told him that they understood. "Advance at meich-ish-och-ninh."

"Into the fire we go. To live, to love, to die within a sweetly sigh. An arrow shot from a golden bow. If our wings should split the sky, may our souls to haven fly."

Dwyer's prayer was spoken softly and with great reverence, the truth of his words touching each one of them. A single vistar squadron could not take on a Spectronian Battleship without Starfighter back up and survive.

"Satray squadron prepare for battle."

\

hee hee did I do that? don't worry the next chapter is gonna be a doozie.


	10. OCH

**Okay I was going to wait until I had the next segment ready but I forgot about the fall line up. Since I've been so busy I decided to give you this to tide you over until I can get to work on the next one. **_I hate it when I have to add new shows to my line up._

_0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000_

**OCH\ ****EIGHT**

Heero paused for only a mirax before turning to pull on his uniform and heading to the vistar bay. Most squad leaders hand picked their team, but he was squad Commander thus he could get anyone he wanted. He'd taken his time to learn the ins and outs of both the Red Star and the in coming warriors. He'd been given permission to study each as they tested in the sims, how well they tested in stress situations and he'd picked the best.

Trowa Barton, Detra meich , was Teirsan born. From the Isles of Iconia, he learned to blend in with his surroundings. He was also prime for any heavy arms and on world recon. He stood a few tet over Heero with his strange uni bang and bright green eyes. He was the only one Heero would trust at his back.

Sei Leming, Detra dec, was Unian born. She was born on the North conten. Small for her heritage, she studied under the best warriors in that sector. She had been approached to become one of the Veltrox sect but she loved her long black hair too much to have it all removed. Wearing it in a folded tail down her back, she kept it laced with corded weapons, her forte. She was one of the best pilots to graduate from the Collective and as such was marked by a small ringed tat under her left ice green eye.

Adin Barnett, Detra quor, was Teirsan born. From the region of Ruszahrn and was trained in survival and combat almost from birth. His flaming red hair and hard black eyes should have given testament to his temper, but Heero chose to ignore it in favor of his talent in a vistar. While older than his Commander, he would defend him to the end no matter what orders were laid down.

Soris Armonia, Detra fein, was Teirsan born. From the region of Scortgehn, she followed the ancient ways of combat. Strength above all else and the respect for that strength. She was the only one who had to see Heero fight before she joined. Wheat blonde hair was shorn in a military style making her gray eyes hard like shard and her face strong. Her loyalty was to her Commander and her ship, all else meant little.

Daigo Onnegel, Detra shor, was the only Nomian in the squads. Born on a southern conten, he had been trained by his father in the ways of the Fract Empiral. He was agile, quick, and strong. Tall for a lizarian, but his features were true to his birthright. Dark green scales covered his whole body and his eyes were a bright gold with dark slits for pupils. He was the best at night and could adjust to any situation with speeds to rival those of any Serrian.

Trinoi Levinski, Detra sekch, was Teirsan born. Also from Ruszahn, he was trained the same as Adin, only his master was the most feared of the high guard warriors. With cropped light brown hair and hard ice blue eyes, he could easily be mistaken for a Unian warrior and fought as if he belonged to the sect of Veltrox. He and Sei were made wing-men since they both added to the others ability and seemed to be able to read each other fluidly.

Meilan Long, Detra och, was Unian born. Strong willed and eager to fight, she was pushed through the system due to her great ability to pilot and hand to hand combat skills. However, it took several thyerox before she was chosen for a team due to her strong headed thinking. Her dark black hair was worn in braid to each side of her head and tied off with two metraflik claps that served as her secret weapons, Heero had found out about these when he fought her to gain her loyalty. Her hard dark eyes, unusual for a Unian marked her as a hybrid and while none could be found in her familial line, it hurt her chances within the Unian run army.

Dorothy Catalonia, Detra ninh, was Teirsan born. She was a warrior with a lineage that rivaled only that of the great families of Calodonie. She was Catheria born and trained under their warrior regime of females. She was hard, her blue eyes attesting to that fact. She kept her blond hair long and loose, daring anyone to say anything about it.

Looking them over, Heero almost smiled as Dorothy brushed a bit of friction from Meilan's cheek from where they'd been working on their vistars. His team was always at the ready, never thinking to question an order, or to break a rule if need be.

"Suit up! We leave in five mirax!" Heero shouted, making only three of his eight jump. "Satray needs backup. They're going after the Battle crusier without us."

Wide eyes greeted that statement and then a flurry of action until all of Detra squad was in their vistar awaiting launch orders. They hated to miss a good fight.

(O)(O)

Duo felt the other vistars draw near. He had known that alone he would be able to do no more than damage the black ship and eventually he would have to bring in the others to help fight. He had hoped to cripple it more before they were pulled in to insure that there would be few if any casualties.

"Satray Ish, cut engines back to brax and open link for comp lock up."

It was standard for a link up to form so that all squadron members would follow a set plan of attack. It also insured that no one vistar went on a vengeance/suicide mission.

"I got nothing." Dwyer moaned, punching his com again to verify.

"I'm out." Banes sent.

"No link." Mikels reported.

Jaxon typed up commands trying to establish a link with the lead vistar when suddenly his ship lurched. Fearing that he'd been forced out, Jaxon began to frantically search through his data link. Everything was working fine and he was still on course, he was not- however- in control of the ship.

"What's going on?" Dwyer shouted.

"I've lost control!" Korber yelled, a mild panic in his voice.

Jaxon was amazed when all seven were pulled into a loose formation and shot into the fray. Checking over his computer, he could see that only his weapons were at his control.

OOOO

"An Alliance vistar squadron." came the emotionless answer to the latest explosive attack.

Acht stared incredulously at the radahr which showed a small group of ships moving into position beneath his great ship. Ship sensors had been locked to search for bigger things, not the smaller vistars used for close contact attacks. It was widely known that a vistar squadron could not take down a Battle cruiser. Why was this one doing so much damage.

"Activate guns! Destroy them!" Acht practically screamed his orders as another explosion shook the floor beneath his feet.

OOO

As the vistar squadron moved closer, Duo automatically expanded his senses to include the group. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes and when he opened them their color had become a clear bright lapis.

"Link established."

The seven pilots heard the words echo through them as their ships seemed to come to life.

"Ride with it guys." Jaxon ordered as his ship picked up speed. "Hands to guns and fire when locked."

"Check." "Check."

Jaxon suspected he knew what was happening but he didn't want to voice it aloud. When the system locked on target, he fired taking out the target before his ship turned. Following the progress of the battle on rayar, firing when he had a lock, he knew that Derris Rehn was not the pilot of Satray Ish. In fact, as the squadron made an intricate series of maneuvers to dodge fire, he was almost positive that no computer linked the squadron together. Keeping his mind clear, he focused on a single word, a single ideal, and then he let his mind whisper it.

Duo's concentration jerked momentarily when the word hit him. 'Nahjet' echoed along the link between him and Satray Meich. It had surprised him to hear that whisper. So surprised that he dropped his guard and the vistar rocked with a hit to a wing section.

"Tretar!"

"Satray Ish, tighten up!" Seeing the lead vistar take a hit, Jaxon regretted his sent thought.

'_Link re-established.'_

Jaxon sighed as he felt the tug return and his vistar was once again under the 'computers' control.

9098889

"Commander Lowe, we've received word from Detra Squadron they've located the battle and are about to link up. It's a Battle cruiser of Trident class in sector t-meich-ninh. We are beginning warp countdown now."

Odin frowned, that placed the Spec's within firing range of Serra. They had spent the last few triax chasing sensor ghosts.

"Contact the Black Star and the Andrometha, give them the co-ordinates and hope they're closer than we are." Odin took his command seat and prayed that they could make there in time. An Alpha class Battle cruiser was a planet killer, who knew what a Trident class was capable of.

'Hurry, Heero, get there before all helios breaks.' Odin thought before he ordered, "Launch Detra. Alert the fleet. Everyone to battle stations!" He knew that Satray was a perfectly capable fighting squad, but to take on a Trident class Battle cruiser. It was the newest in the Spectronian fleet, they didn't know what it could do.

(O)(O)

Shouts of joy coursed through the com as Detra squadron hit open space. There was a few mirax of liberal flying before Heero ordered them to tighten up and fall in.

"What's are time?" He shouted to his Dec as they set their course into the computer.

"We're four triax out, but we will beat the Starfighters." came Sei's calm reply.

Heero nodded, though none of his others could see him. "Prepare for jump on my mark." Counting in his head he waited until fein before shouting, "Jump!"

The entire squadron hit their thrusters at the same time and let the computer guide them toward the battle field at Serra.

OOO

"Commander, radahr indicates that the Starfighters have changed course and are heading this way."

Acht listened to the ray-tech's emotionless words with dread. It was not going as planned. The humans should have been crushed. The capitol city on the home world now lay in ruins, the attack should have been devastated them. The ghost echos would have taken their Starfighters off on the wrong course and left the rest of the system open for him to complete his mission. But no, they were turning toward him, his own fighters were in formation to take out Serra and he was under attack by a single squadron of vistars. Who knew they could do more damage to his ship than the mightiest of their Starfighters could.

The battle was swift and unmerciful. The Battle cruiser was made to fight larger, more bulky targets, it relied on it's vipers to fight the small, swifter ones. Thus it could not hit the vistars and their pattern of attack was too erratic for them to even get a good solid lock. Their strikes were perfectly placed as the 'computer link' led each ship into the tiny cracks and low crevices of the monster.

Acht tried to shout commands to the mecks, but each explosion rocked the bridge with more force than the last and he was almost knocked off his feet each time. He bemoaned the fact that his squadrons of vipers were winging their way to Serra unaware of the attack, having been commanded to remain in silence until after the mission was complete.

He had chose not to recall them when the battle had begun because he could not fathom such a small group of ships doing any damage to his great Dark Death. His ship was the pride of the new Spectronian fleet, was built to withstand multiple hits from any weapon a Starfighter could throw at it, but the vistars. . .

"Recall the vipers!" Acht shouted as yet another explosion shook his ship.

O-O-O-O

"Commander, I got nothin on rayar."

Heero doubled checked Daigo's readings and concurred.

"Well, at least we know how they were moving without being tracked." Came Dorothy's dry reply. "Look at that beaston."

"We wouldn't be seeing it if Satray hadn't lit it up." Trowa spoke for the first time, his calm voice a soothing presence on the com. "They've just about finished it. Shouldn't we join them?"

"Tretar! Sho need ta!" Adin yelled almost pushing his vistar a head of his leaders.

"Link up." Heero ordered, his eyes never leaving the strange formation of light that had to be Satray squadron. "Keep mark on the others and take out the guns first."

"Check." "Check."

Heero linked his ship to Trowa's as wing man with a nod to the other, they hit their thrusters leading the pack in.

"Satray, this is Detra we're coming up on the black side, give us a flip." Heero spoke in code in an attempt to contact the battling vistars.

"Yeah, boys, let the ladies play!" Meilan shouted when no response came to the ready.

"We've got help!"

Duo heard the joyous shout over the com and his rayar had all ready alerted him of the incoming vistars and the change in the Starfighters course.

Jaxon felt control of his vistar return to him and pulled out of the dive to find Satray Ish taking his place and firing.

"Hey! My computer disengaged!"

"Check. Mine, too!"

"Banes." Jaxon heard the thread of fear creeping into the younger pilot's voices. "Take the team to lead the others. I'll shadow the lead."

"Check Meich."

Jaxon watched as his team headed toward the incoming vistars. Thumbing down his com, he opened his mind and took a deep breath.

"I don't know who you are, but I know what you can do." He spoke the words out loud inside the quiet of his cockpit, hoping the pilot could hear him.

Satray Ish paused before it dove to fire upon a gun battery. That pause told Jaxon that his softly spoken words had been heard.

"I am your wing man and I will stay by your side in this battle. I want to avenge the deaths as much as you and I want to see this planet killer destroyed." Jaxon allowed some of his anger to pass through in his words. It was the only way he knew for certain to let the pilot of Satray Ish what his intention were before he contacted the incoming squadron.

OOO

Heero ignored the shouts of his team as some of Satray swung out to lead them in. He'd been watching the lead vistar, never pausing in it's attacks, suddenly shake with a hit. The pilot was maneuvering his ship as if it were a living extension of himself. No one could pilot like that.

"Detra Quor and Fein, join with Satray Shor and Sekch. Take aim at the turrets along the top section." Heero ordered as he pushed his own ship hard to reach the two lead Satray ships still fighting under the monster's belly. "Detra Och, Ninh, take wings with the others and take out the landing bays."

"Check." "Check." Came the replies.

"Trowa, let's join the party." Heero murmured as they set course to join Satray Ish and Meich.

O

Duo sighed as he paused in his next run. The other squadron would be here soon and, even in open space, he could not control them all. Jaxon's words had washed over him like a balm, soothing his own wounds and calming his own rage.

"Satray Ish pay attention!" Jaxon shouted over the com, his heart jumping when the vistar sustained another hit.

Jaxon's warning and the violent shaking of his ship pulled Duo's concentration back to the battle. A gunnery placement he had yet to take out had locked in on his stationary position. Before he could react, Jaxon dove and took the placement out.

"Let's take the forgon trell out!" Jaxon shouted over the com.

Duo allowed a small smile before he joined in Jaxon's feral growl and rejoined the battle.

-o-o-o-

As the Red Star came out of warp the crew gasped at the size of the Battle cruiser. She was so black that without the explosions ravaging her hull, she might not have been visible. As they watched the mammoth ship shook like a great harran fighting off a swarm of gnat.

Richards, the young rayar tech, checked her console twice. "Commander, it doesn't register on rayar."

"What?" Wufei moved to look over the young lady's shoulder not believing her words.

"I'm reading only vistars." She checked all channels. "The Spectronian ship is invisible."

"Commander, the Andrometha and the Black Star have reported five squadrons of vipers on a heading for Serra prime!" The com-teck, Nickels, shouted his report to the command.

"Launch Gammon, Omnia, and Shoban squadrons to intercept!" Odin watched the battling vistars followed the lead like a precise weapon. Satray Ish was directing all of the smaller ships to places few would know to hit. "Launch all the rest to join Detra and Satray!"

Odin watched the co-ordinated dance of the vistars marked as Satray Ish and Meich. It was like poetry and death linking hands and moving around the darkness.

"Who's in command of Satray squadron?"

Wufei had to admire the precise control the pilot had over his machine as another explosion rocked the massive ship.

"At this rate the battle with a Starfighter is almost redundant." Only Odin heard Wufei's softly spoken comment.

"It is commanded by Regast Derris Rehn." Karl, the command assistant, stood quietly at his station behind Odin's chair. It was his job to answer any personnel, weapon, or tactical questions his Commander may have. Checking his wrist link, he frowned. "He was, however at last report, on Teirsa co-ordinating efforts from the Delphin Polls. To my knowledge, his orders were to remain until the planet was cleared."

De'mon frowned. "We lost contact with the Polls a dial before Satray alerted us to the Battle cruiser's location."

Wufei kept his eyes on the battle, reaching out with his own limited enhanced senses. "Perhaps he received some information and could not reach us."

Each movement was too precise, each hit too accurate, and each target chosen too perfectly; no Academy or battle experience could make a pilot that good. His knowledge of the pilot Derris Rehn, his skills were average at best. In battle he'd more than proven himself over, but he was not as skilled as the pilot they were watching.

"Open the com, I want to hear the pilots." Odin called the order as something told him that the pilot in Satray Ish was not one of his, nor was he Academy trained. His fighter control while quick was too erratic and his aim too accurate. This pilot seemed to know the ship he'd set out to destroy, knew it's weaknesses as if he'd been briefed on it.

"Prepare weapons array! Target the engines and fire on my mark!" De'mon ordered as he strained out of his chair.

55555

"Incoming vipers!" "Red Star preparing to fire!"

The other pilots began shouted remarks over the com as Duo lead Jaxon on another run. He could feel the death shudders shaking the great ship as he led the pass under her belly. He dodged fire like a leaf dancing on the wind, his senses guiding him to each target far better than any computer system could. It was instinctive, each action, each reaction led him exactly where the most damage could be done.

"Vipers sector meich ish fein." Jaxon reset his rayar, pinpointing each of the enemy's returning fighters. "Mikels locate the lead and take him out! Dwyer pull second string and fan out!"

"Satray Meich, Detra Fein, Quor and Shor are on the incoming." Heero told them. "Double back and re-group for the next assualt."

Duo ignored the vipers and the other vistar squadron. That squadron had joined them, breaking up to shadow the others as they moved freely about the giant, while the lead two had joined him. They were of little consequence in his opinion, it was the Battle Cruiser that had to be destroyed.

Jaxon watched as Satray Ish made another pass into the under belly. _Didn't he realize the monster was all ready dead?_ He pulled around Detra Ish as he realigned his sensors and checked the damage.

"Satray Ish, pull out let the Red Star finish it." Jaxon locked his computer so that he could engage the enemy fighters.

"Close ranks and clear the channel it's time to go to work." Trinoi acknowledged the orders to clear the Battle cruiser.

"Satray Ish, Meich, join up and follow out." Heero ordered. "The Red Star is in firing range."

Jaxon moved to join the squad he noticed that Satray Ish was not there among them. "Satray Ish, check?"

"Satray Ish, clear the way the Red Star can finish it. It's almost done for anyway. We've can take care of the vipers ." Heero agreed as he pulled his vistar out of the last dive. "Red Star is in range. She's more than able to take this one out now."

Jaxon watched as the vistar made another sweep on the engines, setting off another series of explosions.

Heero turned his vistar in time to see Satray Ish take another hit before veering away and heading back in. "What is he doing?" Heero murmured, wondering if he would have to go in and force Satray Ish out.

"Revenge is a hard master." Trowa answered before speaking louder. "Satray Ish, there is nothing left. The Red Star is here, ready to fire."

"They're too late." A whispered voice spoke over the com. A wave of silence swept the channel as all the pilots realized that it had come from Satray Ish.

4444

"Engines have been completely disabled, Commander."

Acht heard the flat words spoken by yet another programmed tech. He'd known it was over for some time, the ship was on it's way to certain destruction.

"Squadron reporting contact in ten point two minutes."

"Two minutes too late." Acht muttered as he pushed his last resort, a large black button on his controller's seat. If they were going to be destroyed, then so be it, but he would take that Starfighter and her squadron with him.

333

He wanted the monster to die. He wanted to be the one who stuck the sword in the Dagon's head and heard it bellow it's death call. He wanted them to suffer as he had seen others suffer. This was the beat of his heart as Duo made one last pass over the Battle cruiser, taking out one last gun placement. He felt a strange surge of energy building around him. Pulling up and away, he looked around him, but could not see anything that could account for the surge.

22

"Commander, we have a power build up in the engine core." Palmer, the sensor chief shouted as his alarms sounded through his headset. "It's reading quor ten rads."

"Alert all sections, have the engine room stand by to warp." Odin ordered as he sent his crew to prepare to flee the area should the ship explode. "Send a stat ish alert to all the vistars and target the incoming fighters. If that ship blows I want her fighters within range."

1

"Red Star command to all vistar squadrons, Spec Battle cruiser has a power build up in engines. Advise course to warp, destruction imminent in two triax."

"You heard the com." Jaxon maneuvered his vistar so that he could see all the other fighters. "Two triax and this thing blows. Prepare for fast flight."

Duo felt the next explosion shake his vistar before he could move away.

"Computer damage report?"

'_Engine dec has sustained damage. Advise an increase to thrusters to compensate_.'

Duo worked quickly to by pass the damaged systems as he swung in to formation behind the other vistars.

Jaxon noticed the sluggish movements of their leader as he co-ordinated the remaining fighters into position. "Satray Ish, give me a status report."

Heero and Trowa both jerked their vistars back around at Jaxon's call. In the midst of another explosion Satray Ish rocked like a pullet on a string.

Duo recognized Jaxon's voice as he fought to keep his ship under control.

"Satray Ish, answer! What is your status!" Heero ordered as the three vistars made a move toward the damaged vistar.

"Sustained damage in dec engine." Duo spoke quickly and breathlessly as he fought to hold his ship in formation. He was not going any where fast. "Trying to compensate by increasing the power to the others. Hard to hold her on course. Adjusting to increase speed."

"Lock in on the Red Star's beacon, she's . . . "

Static took over as another series of explosions caught Satray Ish in their wake.

"Computer damage."

'_Com-tower had been damaged. Beacon had been destroyed. Speed insufficient for rendezvous with Starfighter_.

Duo shook his head in disbelief, here he was on his first, albeit unofficial, battle flight and he was about to loose his vistar.

"Computer compensate for loss of engine power and add in a warp configuration for the Red Star's last known position."

The computer beeped its compliance as Duo felt another explosion rock his ship.

"Computer, set warp and engage . . . NOW!"

Duo heard the whine of the engines as they powered up. The thrust pushed him back against the seat as the ship jumped into warp. Duo didn't see the Red Star, nor could he control the motion of the vistar as it was picked up on the shock wave caused by the exploding Spectronian Battle cruiser. He saw the starlight become lines as his ship sped by them until finally he gave into the darkness.

0

"Com, we've lost Satray Ish." Heero reported as he and the others rode out the wave of destruction, alarms alerting them to the sensor loss.

Jaxon had seen the vistar mere mirax before the last explosion. Wounded and limping, there was no way it could have cleared the destructive force of the great ship's destruction.

"It didn't clear the Cruiser before she blew." Jaxon added with regret. A great warrior had passed and no one knew who he was.


	11. NINH

NINH[ NINE

The explosion blinded the sensors on the Red Star as the crew fought to stabilize the great ship. It was rare that the destruction of a Spectronian Battle cruiser would cause a Starfighter to lurch but then again this one had been set to destroy worlds.

"Status report!" De'mon shouted another flash lit up the bridge.

"Lowering blast shields and increasing stabilizers in aft and quarter." Wufei announced from his station.

"Beacon transmitting, sir." Nerria reported. "We have ninh clear com waves and no major damage."

"Commander, the Black Star and the Andrometha are reporting the shock wave has peaked and is fading." Karl reported from his post, one seat back and behind the command stage.

"Vistar squadrons are reporting in." Wufei leaned down so that his next words only carried to the Odin and De'mon. "Detra Ish and Satray Meich are requesting permission to begin searching for Satray Ish. It seems that it did not appear to clear the Cruiser before it was destroyed."

Odin frowned and exchanged a look with both Wufei and De'mon. "Did they find out who was piloting the craft?" Odin asked.

Wufei slowly shook his head, regretting that there was still no information on the pilot that had saved them all.

"We could contact Rehn on planet, see if he knows who it could be." De'mon suggested.

Odin nodded. "Do so." Looking at Wufei he met his advisor's dark eyes. "Have Heero chose only those trusted to begin the search. We need to find anything we can."

Wufei bowed and headed to his post to relay the orders to the Squadron Commander.

(O)

Looking out his vistar's canopy, Heero could see Trowa and Jaxon floating near him, waiting for word. They had all tried to keep track of the mysterious Satray Ish as it fired up it's remaining engines to maneuver away from the dying Crusier. They had all known that it would take a miracle for the damaged vistar to clear the debris field before the explosion. Had all turned, against orders, to try to retrieve it. There would have been little they could have done but bumped it along with the hope of inertia taking it further. They had all been willing to sacrifice in order to save that one pilot. The big question in Heero's mind was -why?

"Detra Ish." Heero jumped, it was not Nerra's voice breaking the silence. "Detra Ish, respond."

"Detra Ish, check." Heero recognized Wufei's voice and knew that something was up. The young advisor rarely used the com, orders were transmitted through Nerria as a rule, so this was important. "Has our request been granted?"

The silence that returned was almost disappointing. Heero hoped that their Commander, his mentor, would not opt to take this has just another loss.

"Link status." was Wufei's only reply.

Heero frowned before answering. Why would the advisor want to know who was linked to his com? "Detra Meich and Satray Meich. The rest of Detra and Satray squadrons have joined the run on the remaining vipers and are to report in once the field is cleared."

Visual communications popped and Wufei's face appeared on the central com screens of the three waiting vistars. Their link would allow them to speak to each other as if they were in the same room, not in different ships.

"Command is granting the search, however, Odin would like as much information as possible on where or who piloted." Wufei's eyes seemed to meet all of them as he spoke in calm, quiet tones. "We need to know how to proceed."

Jaxon's face flipped up to dominate the screen as he spoke. "I didn't get a log from the link, it wasn't via the computers. He had to have gotten the vistar from Derris, though, because ID on it was confirmed."

Wufei once again dominated with a nod. "Begin search. Use grid tracking and com link transfers. We'll begin a sensor sweep once the EM field has dispersed. The Battle cruiser was carrying a lot of ordnance, so beware of any untangled torps or hot rockets."

"Check." "Check." "Check."

With three confirmations, Wufei broke the link. Turning his attention back to the bridge, he gave Commander Odin Lowe a confirming nod.

(O)(O)(O)

The room was not quite as luxurious as the safe-room the Naijor had placed them in, but it was the best that could be done. The walls were re-enforced with trillium, but left bare so that the color was a dull amber. There were no windows, no holo-sphere, no ambiance what-so ever. There were a few chairs surrounding a small table and one lounge. The food dispenser was flush against a far wall and had to be re-calibrated before they could be left there.

The pilot, Derris Rehn, had apologized for the extra precautions but it was agreed that until they could verify the out-world shuttle's intentions, their safety came first. Fermeldon had bowed to the pilot's knowledge and calmed the Council's fears as they followed the med-tech, Sally Po, down to the tunnels under the Polls.

Once they'd reached the room, Po had activated an energy pad and opened the door. They had entered hesitantly, but calmly, with Po behind them. She waited for the dispenser to be fixed and the lighting secured before shutting the door and securing it from the inside.

Sally had stationed herself near the door in one of the hard chairs while the Council roamed the room, some curious; some cautious, all were restless and tired of being kept in confinement.

"Medical Po, how long have you been in the study of the art?"

Sally dragged her gaze away from the sealed door to look at the Councilmon who spoke. She recognized him as the one who had accompanied the boy during her examination. "Excuse me?"

Ahl Boren smiled, understanding her preoccupation. "I inquired as to how long you have sought the study of the medical arts?"

"Um," Sally forced herself to give the Councilmon her attention, denying her worry over the incoming shuttle. "I suppose I've always been intrigued by healing and chose to focus on the study when I finished general education when I was twelve."

Ahl Boren nodded solemly. "So young. You sought the knowledge for a life goal. That is very commendable."

Sally couldn't stop the blush that colored her cheeks at the compliment from one of such importance. "Thank you."

Ahl Boren returned the small smile and took the seat next to her, his eyes going to the sealed door. "This is a most stressing time. War, is always damaging and painful, but often times growth comes from such that is unexpected. War is by nature destructive, but it is what we build from that destruction that makes a more civilized species. Don't you think, Medical Po?"

Sally frowned trying to fathom why one of the greatest minds would seek her to discuss philosophy and why now. Before she could answer the door opened and Derris Rehn appeared.

"The shuttle is the Unian Command. Commanders Kurama and Kushrenada are on board." he announced. "They want to meet with the Council if so permitted."

Fermeldon smiled and stepped toward the young pilot. "We will grant such with them."

Sally shared a quick glance at Rehn over the formal way the Councilmon accepted the order and took up the rear as they were all lead out of the small room. She pushed the question into the back of her mind and hoped that the Councilmon was correct in the re-building.

(O)(O)

The first view of the Polls was like seeing the open heart of a dead city. The devastation was encompassing and complete. Rashid felt the tears well up in this eyes as the shuttle swung around to land and knew that what was left here was nothing compared to the city.

"We'll get it all rebuilt, my friend." Treize murmured as he viewed the once majestic portal. "This can all be fixed."

Rashid shook his head slowly. "The lives lost here can never be fixed. These are building, no one minds them, it's the people who will need the most repair."

Treize nodded with a sigh as the shuttle slowly descended to land near the remaining building. Turning away from the scene of people scrambling to settle the shuttle into it's resting place, he began to gather his papers and made to straighten his uniform.

"In command is Patroo Command Patrol Jormah Uroff. He's not exactly command material, passed over twice for promotion. He's a farroe little man with ambitions but little practicality." Rashid told Treize as he prepared his own case. "He's good at scheduling, which is one of the few reasons Commander Dorshmon kept him on for so long. There had been rumors that there were some irregularities but nothing founded."

Treize 'hm'ed before turning to motion for Rashid to precede him to the door. Rashid hefted his case and laid a hand to his uniform, a habit he'd gotten into when he'd been made to perform ambassador duties. With a nod to Treize he indicated that he was ready and the two stepped toward the door awaiting the sequence to conclude and the hatch to open.

Jormah Uroff struggled to keep the sweat from falling from his face. With the Alliance Council he could bluff and bluster his way through command, but not with Tri Commander Rashid Kurama, the man was legendary in his adherence to chain of Command. With a huff, he motioned for the guardsmen to ready themselves and brought himself to attention as the door to the shuttle slowly lowered.

Rashid looked at the sweaty man before him, the nerves were almost a shadow hanging over the man.

"Commander Jormah Uroff, sir."

Rashid returned the quick salute with a nod and offered the same to the guardsmen.

"This is Quor Commander Treize Kushrenada of the Unian Council." Rashid introduced the stalwart man behind him. "I understand the Alliance Council is here."

"Aye, sir." Uroff replied, hoping that keeping his answers short he could avoid any problems. "We had them placed in protection until it could be determined the truth of your shuttle, but they have been informed of your arrival."

Rashid nodded, hoping the man would lead them inside, but instead he just stood there.

"We would like to see them now." Treize's voice was the flat aristocratic tone he used during Council meetings, it was a small sign of his displeasure.

Uroff gulped and moved to quickly lead them into the building. "Yes, sir. Yes, sir. This way." he continually repeated as he bowed several times while he walked into the building's shadowy interior.

Treize and Rashid shared a look, that if it had been seen, would have been a clear indication of how much they thought of the man before them. He was bowing and cowing as quickly as he could until both men stopped.

The scene was unbelievable. People were every where. Injured walked among the lost as uniforms scurried in and out of the throng trying to help as many as possible. It was clear, however, that there were not enough of them to make even the smallest dent in the masses.

"How many?"

Uroff stopped when he realized the officers were not following him. Turning he could see their eyes roaming the area he'd designated the refuge camp. Those who could not be identified were here while those of name and privilege were in the upper floors.

"Sirs?" He became uneasy when neither man seemed inclined to move, but just kept looking around.

"How many?" Rashid repeated.

Uroff was at a loss as how to answer since he didn't know what the question referred.

"Derhd-fencree." A quiet voice answered from behind them. "And that's just those who checked in to see if there was any family on the lists."

Rashid and Treize turned to see the saddened face of a young med-tech.

"Ah!" Uroff moved to her side with a smile. "This is Dr. Sally Po, she's been very helpful in getting the wounded organized. She also helped set up a med- scan for the lift."

Treize acknowledged the young woman with a nod, while Rashid continued to view the masses.

"What is the status on quarters?" Rashid's voice was gruff, not liking at all what he was seeing. This was not a viable safety zone, the Polls had all ready been a target once and it would take little to being it completely down.

"We have rooms ready for you upstairs in the VIP area." Uroff said misunderstanding the question. "We have arranged for a meal to be set out as well."

Rashid frowned and Treize nearly growled at the clear favoritism of the man.

"Housing for the survivors hasn't been arranged yet." Dr. Po answered, knowing full well how Uroff was coming off.

Uroff's face flushed as he realized his misunderstanding and quickly moved to correct it. "The Sadow were still patrolling the city and it was determined that keeping every one here was safer. Transportation will be arranged for early sun rise to send the majority back to the city for cataloging. There is a base set up in the Common area that will handle all of that."

Treize frowned, but refrained from speaking. Rashid was not so refrained.

"Why in the tretar would you send them back into the city!?" Rashid's voice exploded into the room, making several people stop and look. "These people should have all ready been confirmed and readied for transfer to Norderon or Mal Seczar! You should have all ready contacted those cities to make arrangements for ground transportation and housing for these people!"

Uroff cringed as the Commander's voice rose in volume and anger the longer he spoke.

"There is no reason for these people to have to stay here longer than necessary! This place is a transport arena and as such would be a target should they decide to attack again." Rashid roared as he stepped forward to look down at eh smaller man. "Wounded should have been treated and prepped for the nearest med facility and the families united as fast as possible. SOP for war active areas!"

Uroff stumbled to speak in the hopes of explaining, but it only served to make him look a little more stupid as he struggled.

"Dr. Po, I suggest you begin arranging those who can travel from those who can't. Set up a quick triage section nearest the activated areas and move those in need up to the floors that cleaner." Treize spoke softly as Rashid grabbed Uroff's arm to pull the man away. "Make arrangements for the food stores to be rationed off to the people down here first all others in order of need. Get the guardsmen to help you move these people to a more comfortable placement, then report back to us."

"Yes sir." It was all Sally could do not to smirk at Uroff. These were things she had tried to get him to do, but the man had informed her in all arrogance that he was 'in charge' and would do as he wanted. With a slight salute, she hurried off to take charge of the mess Uroff had made.

Treize looked around to find Rashid, hoping that he would not be pulling his friend off a cowering Patrol Commander.

(O)(O)

Heero sighed as he rechecked his instruments. They'd been doing a methodical grid search for the last dial and had covered very little. The debris field of the Sprectronian Battlecruiser was spread out over two quads and made it difficult for the three of them to do a proper search.

"Detra Ish?"

Heero sighed and activated his com. "Check."

Jaxon sighed heavily. "I've got nothing. This is impossible with just the three of us."

Heero nodded.

"I contacted the Red Star," Trowa broke in. "to see if they would deploy Satray and Detra to help."

Heero frowned, he could just imagine Wufei's reaction to that.

"They ran scans after the EM field dispersed. There were no readings to indicate vistar debris." Trowa reported. "The vipers were all destroyed so they are refueling and then adding the two squads to the search."

"Check that, Detra Meich." Heero kept the emotion out of his voice as he replied.

"How long do we have?" Jaxon's quiet questioned renewed the tension among the three. They all knew they would not be able to search indefinitely.

Trowa sighed. "They've given us another dial maybe a dial to half, that's the only reason Wufei agreed to send out the squads."

"Check." "Yeah, check."


	12. AUTHOR'S CHOICE

**I am about to be hated. I am breaking this story into parts as it was written originally - thus NINH is the last chapter of the first part. Once my other story is completed I can devote more time to pounding this one out which is why I'm doing this. The second part will be posted as soon as life allows me to. Don't fret because I am not abandoning this. **

**I really wanted to be able to make this one pop since I later plan to have it published under it's original form. So with a massive re-write of the chapter to follow looming over my head I'm doing this so you will have an ending so to speak and while this is not the most optimal ending I could hope for- I do have to re-work the 'Earth' scenario (which I'm not using) and get the other G-boys into the story - ie. Quatre- and all the other little duckies in a row so that it all comes together. **

**This is what happens when you all ready have three version of the same story and can't figure where to go- so I'm going back to the original which was only about 500 pages long -short and sweet. However it didn't go into a lot of detail- hence the re-writes and completely ignored the middle part after he vanished. **

**So stand fast my friends and I'll have this one walking on it's own before you know it.**


End file.
